Precious Flower, Fighting Sand
by Celtic Oak
Summary: AU Sakura is the sole heir to a multimillionaire firm, but when she starts receiving death threats, she is forced to hire Gaara, a dark and antisocial bodyguard to protect her. Will they be able to put aside their differences for a common goal? GaaxSaku
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** (AU) Sakura is the sole heir to a multimillionaire firm, but when she starts receiving death threats, she is forced to hire Gaara, a dark and antisocial bodyguard to protect her. Will they be able to put aside their differences for a common goal? (GaaxSaku)

Well, here's my shot at a GaaraxSakura AU fic. I must warn you that this is not a fic for Sasuke lovers, so keep that in mind.

Thanks to all of you who reviewed my 'Sand Glass' one shot, I really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Naruto. This story was meant for entertainment purposes only.

Hope you enjoy:)

* * *

_I wouldn't know what to do with another chance  
If you gave it to me  
I couldn't take the embrace of a real romance  
It'd race right through me  
I'm much better off the way things are  
Much, much better off, better by far, by far_

_So keep on calling me names, keep on, keep on  
And I'll keep kicking the crap till it's gone  
If you keep on killing, you could get me to settle  
And as soon as I settle, I bet I'll be  
Able to move on_

_Fiona Apple – _The way things are

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**Chapter one – Threats to the Pink Girl**

Sakura woke up to a start, coming awake instantly. As her eyes focused on her surroundings, the images of her dream started to slowly fade. The feeling of unease which it had caused, however, was more difficult to dismiss. Sitting up quickly, she placed her hands on her neck, massaging it roughly. Moments ago, someone had been trying to strangle her in her dream, someone with a dark, evil face. But try as she might, she couldn't make herself remember her attacker's face. A morose, depressive feeling permeated her dream, as if she had had no option but to let herself be killed.

Banishing such disturbing thoughts from her mind, Sakura got out of bed, stretching lazily as she went to her window. She opened the curtains, letting the sunlight in. The magnificent view of her 5th floor apartment never ceased to amaze her, being the principle reason why she had bought it in the first place. The whole expanse of the city spread out before her, shining in all its glory with the morning sun.

The city of Konoha had been built at the base of a mountain, growing and budding under its protective shadow. What had started as a small business district had spread in all directions, leaving the urban neighborhoods up on the mountain side. Here was precisely were Sakura had bought her 3 room condo after her parents had died. Not wishing to live by herself in the large mansion where she was raised, Sakura had donated the big house to an orphanage, knowing the children would find a better use for it than her.

Being the sole heir of Haruno Pharmaceuticals, the largest drug company in the country, she was forced to take over the business at the young age of 17. Sakura's mother had fought a hard battle against cancer for 5 years, finally succumbing to her illness. Her father, completely heart broken, followed his wife 2 years later. Sakura could only watch as the two most important people in her life left her, slowly disappearing. Once she was alone, she suddenly realized she was now the owner of a very large firm and at the same time, a freshman at medical school. Not being one to break under pressure, she took up the challenge head on, never bowing her head before anyone. Relying on her parent's high quality personnel, she relayed responsibilities while she finished school, but was always on top of things.

Some years later, she graduated with record timing and with her medical degree in hand, she took full hold over the company. HPhar, as it was commonly known, was at its best moment, economically dominating over all other drug firms and it was all thanks to its 25 year old manager and her vision.

She sighed loudly as she remembered how tough it had been. The days had been extremely busy, with her studies and management responsibilities taking up every available minute. At night, once she got home completely exhausted, sleep was never easy to achieve. She would cry herself to sleep every night, mourning her dead parents, waking up every day with bags under her eyes. It had lasted for some time, until she managed to place her past behind her, where it belonged. It was a difficult decision, but one she was proud to make, knowing her parents would approve completely.

She was happy, with her life spread out before her, taking her along for the ride. Living had become almost peaceful then, except for the disastrous personal relationships she had involved herself in. In truth, it had only been one relationship… one horrible, destructive and abusive man.

Sakura shook herself clear of such thoughts, refusing to dwell upon them at all. That was in the past, very far away from her, with no influence whatsoever on her present.

Breathing deeply to reassure herself, she made her way to the bathroom, undressing quickly and jumping into the shower. The hot water calmed and relaxed her, but she suddenly started thinking about the strange dream she had woken up to. The fear she had experienced had been paralyzing and she could almost feel the strong, rough hands reaching for her throat. Shampooing her short pink hair, she decided she would tell Hinata about her dream today; her young friend and personal assistant had a knack for generating insight on things like these.

Drying herself quickly, she went into her room again. She stepped into her large closet, choosing what she had nominated as a "work outfit": dark elegant trousers and a long sleeved blouse. She had hundreds of combinations for these. Buttoning her blouse she looked herself in the mirror, satisfied with what she saw. It seemed that her visits to the gym after work had started to pay off after all.

Of course, she would never admit this to Naruto, her childhood and lifetime friend, who was the one who had nagged her into joining his gym. Being a martial arts world champion, he had become quite the exercise junkie. She had refused to go every day, like he did, and finally agreed to 3 visits per week. Naruto had been overly happy with her decision, probably expecting her to refuse entirely. Sakura was glad to please him, but deep inside she still preferred her afternoon runs to all that weight lifting.

Eating a quick breakfast of cereal and toast, she skimmed through today's paper. Finding nothing of immediate interest, she looked at the microwave clock, deciding it was time to head out. She packed her gym clothes into her backpack and made her way to the elevator. Once at her building's underground parking lot, she walked up to her sleek dark blue 645 BMW. If there was something Sakura loved, it was her car. It was her cherished baby and she always smiled every morning when she saw it.

Turning on the engine, she reveled at its sound. She had always enjoyed her morning ride, since she simply loved to drive… and fast. 'Well, if you have the engine, you have to use it!' she thought to herself, as she sped away towards work. Arriving at the office in the record timing of 12 minutes and 32 seconds, she parked her car in her private spot on the first underground parking level of the building.

Taking the elevator to the 9th floor, the management headquarters of HPhar, she sighed to her lonely self.

"Yet another day at the office", she said quietly. As the elevator doors opened, she braced herself to face the day.

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"I had a very strange dream this morning, Hinata," Sakura said anxiously.

Her friend looked up from her latte, a questioningly look on her face.

They were sitting in Sakura's large office, sitting on the comfortable couches she used for private meetings. Placing her cup on the round coffee table in the center of the sofas, the pink haired manager stood up quietly, walking up to the window.

Hinata followed her with her eyes, saying nothing, waiting for her friend to talk when she was ready.

"In truth, the dream wasn't strange… it was terrifying," Sakura said, more than a little disturbed.

This time, Hinata stood up and joined her. "Would you like to tell me about it?" she prompted.

"I don't remember any of the details. All I remember is a dark, evil man towering over me. His hands are around my neck, squeezing it tight. As he tries to strangle me, there's a feeling of victory emanating from him. But the most disturbing thing is, I don't try to fight him, I don't struggle against him. It's as if I have resigned myself to die and a depressive feeling fills my entire being. It's as if I have no option but to die at his hands."

"That _is_ disturbing," Hinata agreed, looking out the window for a moment, as if thinking over the words she was about to say. Without further hesitation, she spilled them out.

"Let's get something clear first. Do you think this has anything to do with Sasuke?"

Sakura's eyes darkened at the mention of the name, an angry frown on her lips.

"No," she said firmly. "The fear Sasuke made me feel was completely different to this. He belittled me so much, I was just a fragment of the person I truly was then. He made me believe I wasn't worth anything, and since I was foolish enough to believe it at the time, I did not have any strength to fight back. This dream is completely different. I feel entirely like myself. It's as if I have the choice to fight against him, but I choose not to do so. I choose to die at his hands."

As she grew quiet, Hinata examined her face. Nodding to herself, the black haired girl took her friend by the arm, leading her back towards the sofa. Sitting down, she took a breath, giving her opinion.

"I'm not sure what the dream exactly means, but I think we can make something out of it. The fact that you want to die at the evil man's hands could be considered some sort of surrender. Maybe there's a dark part of yourself you aren't acknowledging or aren't too happy with. Maybe you need to let it out and suffer a small 'death' at its hands for you to be at peace."

Sakura looked at her personal assistant with amazement, surprised at the useful insight she was providing. Deep down inside, she was extremely glad she had found a friend like Hinata. She could share her strangest and darkest thoughts with her, without being judged in return.

"It's either that," Hinata continued, "or this dream could be a warning of something approaching. Something dangerous."

Sakura nodded, mentally digesting the information she had just been giving. After a few moments, she turned towards Hinata.

"Thank you so much, my friend, I really don't know what I would do without you." She then leaned over on the couch and hugged the other girl.

Being the shy girl she was, Hinata's cheek blushed a pale pink as she answered, "It's the least I can do".

Sakura smiled, as she leaned back on the couch. She had a lot of thinking to do if was to solve this mystery.

In that moment, Sakura's cell phone started ringing. She walked over to the opposite side of the room, where her large desk stood. Looking for her purse on the bookcase behind her chair, she finally found her cell phone.

Flipping it open, she answered, "Moshi-moshi." A pause. "Why, hello Naruto!", she said giggling.

At the mention of the blond's name, Hinata's cheeks turned an even redder shade of pink, as she put her hands on her knees nervously. Just thinking about him made her feel this way. She reprimanded herself for her behavior, thinking that if she behaved like this at the mere mention of his name, she would never have the courage to actually go up and talk to him in person. Not that they hadn't ever talked before, of course they did. But Sakura was always there, a human buffer between them. Hinata didn't think she would be capable of talking to Naruto if Sakura wasn't present… it would just be too overwhelming.

As she was lost in her thoughts, Hinata failed to notice Sakura's amused expression from across the room. She was fully aware of her friend's feelings for the loud blond, having thought of a few ways to bring them together. The opportunities hadn't presented themselves lately, but Sakura was sure she would have the chance in the future. She would play at match maker indeed.

"Yes, yes, I'm going to the gym after work… No, I can't go now, I'm working! I still have an hour and a half to go before I'm done here... Go out for a run if you want to exercise right now!"

Hinata could hear the rumble of Naruto's loud voice clearly through Sakura's phone. He always had such a vibrant way of expressing himself. She knew other people sometimes found him annoying because of it, but Hinata loved him for it. He was exactly her opposite. She sighed giddily as she lost herself in thoughts about him.

Across the room, Sakura was about to blow a vein at Naruto's insisting pleas for her to skip work and go to the gym with him now. 'He just doesn't know what responsibility is!' she thought to herself.

She ended the conversation with a forced goodbye, telling him she'd meet him there once she got out of the office.

Sakura sat at her desk with a loud sigh, turning towards her computer, eyeing the reports she was checking. Quietly, Hinata picked up the empty coffee cups, making her way towards the door.

"Hinata," Sakura said, "Thanks again!"

Her personal assistant smiled at her, but said nothing as she walked through the door.

Banishing all thoughts of her dream at the moment, Sakura immersed herself in her work.

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Breathing deeply, Sakura let the cool evening air wash her face. After an hour and half's work out, the fresh air was very welcome. Sometimes, the gym would get extremely hot, as most people came in after work, just like she need. It could get really stuffy in there on some days, reminding her of why she'd avoided coming here for so long. Naruto wouldn't hear any of it though, and once she had agreed he would never let her back out.

Just as she was thinking about him, the loud blond followed her out the door, saying his noisy goodbyes to the gym's personnel. 'He really should just move in,' Sakura thought.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, that was a good work out, wasn't it? I feel like I really managed to get some proper back work done," he said enthusiastically.

"Naruto, you _always_ get your back work done properly," she replied "You work your back more times a week than I can count!"

"Hehe, you're probably right," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. As he was doing so, his stomach decided to make itself heard, growling its protest due to hunger.

Sakura laughed as Naruto's cheeks tinged pink. "Gomen, Sakura-chan. It's that, I haven't eaten anything since midday," he said, rubbing his stomach. "Say, how about some dinner? Let's get some ramen!"

She rolled her eyes at his predictable food preference, but nodded her assent since she was starting to feel hungry herself.

They made their way to Naruto's favorite place, Ichiraku Ramen, conveniently located only a couple of blocks away from the gym. Sakura knew this wasn't coincidence, but she was left to wonder which one Naruto had discovered first, the gym or the restaurant. His preference, which bordered on obsession, for both food and exercise was evenly matched.

Naruto went up to the counter to order their food, one bowl for Sakura, three for him. As she sat at one of the nearby tables, she was amazed, not for the first time, at the large quantities of food he could consume in one sitting.

"Do you ever worry about your weight?" she asked once he had joined her with their food. Sakura knew it was a useless question and was already expecting the answer she received.

"Well no," Naruto answered between mouthfuls, "I actually get hungry after I exercise. But once I eat, I just want to train again… so, I get hungry once more. I guess you could say it's a vicious cycle," he finished laughing.

'And that's his life in a nutshell,' Sakura thought, 'as simple as that. I guess it doesn't matter as long as he keeps up with his training program. It's not as though he's as big as Chouji.' Eyes brightened in remembrance, she continued out loud.

"Hey, have you heard from Chouji, recently? I haven't heard anything from him for a while."

Naruto looked up at her, scrunching his eyebrows in thought.

"The last thing I heard," he replied after a moment, " was that he'd quit the Sumo wrestling school. I mean, he wasn't that big after all, and he can be really fast when he wants to. So, he joined a boxing school, a very prestigious one at that, participating in the heavy weight category. I heard he was doing really well. Don't know when he'll come visit though since the boxing tournament season is starting soon. I think some fights will be held here in Konoha, but the committee hasn't decided yet."

'Trust Naruto to know _everything _there is to know about the fighting world,' Sakura thought amazingly.

"How about you? Any tournaments coming up?" she asked.

"There's one being held in around a month," he replied, but then finished quickly, "but I'm not sure I'm going to participate."

Sakura knew he was trying to avoid the subject, but naturally, she wasn't going to fall for it. "Why not?" she insisted.

"Well, you know," Naruto said, a bit too casually. "I just thought I'd back out for a few competitions, give the others a chance to win a few titles, that's all."

Recognizing the blatant lie for what it was, Sakura wasn't about to let the matter drop. Naruto was the most competitive person she knew and he would never decline the chance to test his strength against someone else.

She looked him directly in the eyes, clearly stating she wasn't buying his excuse. Sure enough, he broke down after a few moments, nervously playing with what was left of his food and looking anywhere but directly at her.

Defeated, he breathed out loudly. "Alright," he reluctantly said. "The truth is we received a challenge from another dojo and I really don't want to have anything to do with them."

"Which dojo?" Sakura asked slowly, dreading the answer.

"Sound's Shidokan", Naruto answered quietly.

Sakura swallowed hard. After a moment, she looked up at her friend, who was in turn looking at her. Without doubt, they were both thinking about the same person, but neither of them wished to utter his name.

Intent on ending the subject, and sorry she had pushed Naruto into talking, Sakura answered as cheerfully as she could.

"Well, it's still some time away. I'm sure you'll make the right decision."

He smiled back at her, nodding his head.

Sakura stretched herself, leaning back on her chair, dismissing the previous discussion completely. She was starting to feel tired and after having eaten, sleep was slowly creeping up on her. She patiently waited while Naruto finished his last and third ramen bowl, distracting herself by thinking about work. She had some important business meetings coming up and she had to plan some presentations as well…

"Augh, I'm so full!" Naruto exclaimed, patting his now swollen tummy. "Time we called it a night, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I'm starting to feel sleepy already," she answered as she got up from the table.

He quickly followed her, thanking the cook with one of his characteristic shouts. The cool air touched Sakura's face once more, as she stepped into the night.

"Want me to drop you home?" she asked the bouncing blond.

"Nah, I have to get back to the dojo for a bit. Kakashi-sensei called for a meeting tonight. I have no idea what it's about but he said we couldn't miss it. It isn't that far, so I'll walk."

"Alright then. Take care Naruto, see you tomorrow."

"You too, Sakura-chan. See ya!" he replied, waving as he hurriedly walked away.

'He's probably late already,' she thought, shaking her head as she watched him leave.

She slowly walked back to the gym's parking lot, where she'd left her car. Absorbed in thought, thinking about all the things she needed to ask Hinata to do tomorrow, she failed to notice the envelope on her windshield. She saw it only after she was already seated at the wheel. Thinking it must be a flyer of some kind, she opened the door and shook it free of the wiper.

It was a black envelope, with patches of white here and there. It had been painted carelessly with a black marker, as if whoever had decorated it was in a great hurry.

A cold horrible shiver ran through her spine, as if caused by simply touching the paper. Sakura suddenly experienced a very bad feeling…

Opening it slowly, she found a single sheet of paper folded inside. Taking it out, she realized there where letters, from newspaper clippings, stuck to the paper. It took her a moment to decipher the message:

_An ode to the girl with the head of pink_

_A perfect life is hers, she likes to think_

_But a perfect existence has its toll_

_For by my quick hand her head will roll_

Utter, silent shock spread through her. Staring intently at the letter, it took some moments for the message to sink in.

Sakura wanted to scream. Terror, raw instinctual fear, crept up her whole being, consuming her rational thought. She threw her car door open, flinging the death note away from her. Wild eyes looking everywhere around her, expecting to see her killer right behind her, she wrung her hands in her hair, fighting back a shriek. She fell to her knees shortly after, staring at the paper laying face down on the pavement.

Breathing hard, she controlled herself, her quick thinking mind stepping in. She needed to go somewhere safe, she couldn't stay out here in the open, where anyone could walk up to her. She had to go home… and NOW.

Picking up the letter, she rushed into her car, turning the engine on. She literally raced out of the parking lot, driving faster than she had ever done in her life.

Once her car was out of sight and hearing range, a dark figure on the gym's roof stood, looking in the direction she had gone. Smiling wickedly, he started to chuckle, jumping down to the ground. Immersing himself in shadow, he walked down the street, vanishing into the night.

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Once she reached her apartment building, Sakura looked around first, making sure there was no one around. She ran to the elevator and the few seconds it took to reach the basement were excruciatingly slow. Arriving at her door, she opened it quickly, slamming it behind her as she leaned back against the wall, breathing fast and irregularly.

She couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't believe this was real. There was someone out there who had been watching her and was now planning to end her life.

Sakura collapsed in her living room couch, hands wringing her hair once more. She needed to think things through, she needed to be rational about this. A foolish move and her life would be over. But the whole situation made absolutely no sense. Who would want her dead? She didn't have any known enemies and she had always made sure to treat people nicely, as they deserved, especially in her business ventures. She couldn't think of a possible person who would do this to her.

Some type of terrorism? Most likely. But if someone had been planning to kidnap her for a ransom, they would have done so already, especially at the gym's parking lot where she had effectively broken down. From what the letter said, the person who wrote it knew her, knew the life she led. Somehow, they were aware of her every day existence and envied it so much they wanted to kill her.

Sitting up, she brought her knees to her chin, hugging her legs closely. Sakura had never felt so violated… this was a direct attack to her personal space. To think someone had been watching her made her feel invaded and to say she was uncomfortable with it would be a very large understatement.

She stayed in that position for a quite some time, calming herself down. A part of herself said it might be a prank, some sort of sick joke. Maybe this was the perverse pastime of some psycho, someone who saw her everyday. Someone who got a thrill by causing fear in people, but didn't intend to truly kill them. It could be anyone, even someone from the gym. Someone who envied her and in their sickness, found it amusing to cause her fear and dread, but was in truth completely harmless.

Convincing herself of this idea more and more, she managed to compose herself enough to get up and take a shower.

The hot water was wonderful, and as she took her time under the shower, her previous theory held more truth to her, or so she thought. She efficiently silenced a small part of her who said she should call the police. Drying quickly, she got ready for bed, making her way to her room. She lay down, breathing deeply, trying to get the tension out of her body.

'It's all some sick joke', she thought. 'There couldn't possibly be a person who would want to harm me in such a way.'

Holding on to that thought she closed her eyes, trying to summon blissful and forgetful sleep to her.

But it was long in coming and when it did, she kept her bedside lamp on.

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"Sakura, is something wrong?" Hinata asked worriedly. "You've been staring off into space all morning and your face looks like you didn't get any sleep last night."

'I didn't, the little sleep I had was filled with horrible and dark death nightmares,' Sakura thought to herself.

"I didn't sleep very well, that's true. But I'm fine," she said out loud, forcing a smile to her lips. "Thanks for asking."

Hinata didn't seem convinced but respected her friend's privacy. "Tanaka-san called a while ago, wanting to schedule next week's meeting. I told him you'd call him back, since you were taking care of this deal personally."

Sakura stared at Hinata, as if trying to make sense of her words. After a moment, their meaning finally got through and the fact that she had a lot of work to do suddenly hit her.

"Thanks Hinata, I'll call him right now," she said. "Also, did you get those presentations done?"

"I'm still working on them but I'm almost finished," the shy girl answered.

"Good, cause I've got to add some figures to them. I'll send them to you after I talk to Tanaka-san. We also need to plan those dinner meetings. Could you choose one of our usual restaurants and make a reservation?"

"Sure, for how many?" Hinata asked, writing everything down.

"For three, since Tanaka-san is bringing his partner. I'll have to take both of them out."

"For three it is, then. Anything else you need?"

"No, not at the moment," Sakura said, tapping her lip with a pen.

Hinata made to leave but Sakura interrupted her. "I'm sorry if I worried you by acting so strangely."

"It's alright," the black haired girl smiled, "as long as you get some proper sleep tonight."

"I promise I will."

As her assistant and friend left her, Sakura shook her head quickly, trying to dispel her morose and worried mood. She had a company to run, she couldn't be lurking around imagining killers behind every shadow. Picking up her phone, she started calling her future business partner, immersing herself in the rhythm of corporate life.

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Days passed without any other incident and Sakura was convinced it would never happen again. She decided to stay away from the gym for some time just to be safe, which brought a tide of complaints from Naruto, especially when she wouldn't tell him why. But she wouldn't budge under his tirade, and in the end, he finally accepted her decision.

Sakura used the extra time she had to stay and work extra hours, finishing off all her pending tasks for the upcoming meetings. She was disappointed however, when Tanaka-san called one afternoon, saying his partner had taken ill and they would be forced to re-schedule. Knowing this deal was important for her company, she accepted without complaint, but was left to wonder what she would do with all the free time she now had on her hands. These meetings had been her sole goal for months and she couldn't continue with her plan until the contracts were properly signed.

She left her office late that day and it was already dark by the time she stepped into the elevator. Sighing deeply, she pondered if she should go out tonight. She hadn't gone out for a drink in quite a while, absorbed in her work as she was. Sakura was pondering who to call when she stepped out from the lift into the building's basement parking.

As she was approaching her car, she heard the engine of a motorcycle start. Her heart skipped a beat as an ominous chill ran up her spine. The parking lot was empty… there shouldn't be anyone here at this hour. Turning towards the source of the sound, she experienced the following events as if they were happening in slow motion.

The motorcycle sped directly towards her, coming at full speed. Sakura couldn't move and she knew she had no chance of running. Glued to the spot next to her car, she couldn't do anything but stare as the moving vehicle came closer and closer. When she prepared herself for the eminent impact, lifting her hands in front of her face, the motorcycle came to a stop, sliding a few feet with momentum. It stopped a short distance away from Sakura's trembling figure.

The driver was dressed completely in black; black trousers, black jacket, black gloves and black helmet. Sakura couldn't see their face through the helmet's glass and therefore couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. They stared intently at each other for a long terrifying moment. Then, the motorcycle's occupant began to laugh… a mirthless shrieking laugh that made Sakura's skin crawl. She'd heard that laugh somewhere, but she couldn't bring herself to remember where.

Suddenly, the torturing cackle came to an end, and a package was thrown at Sakura's feet. Without saying anything, the black individual turned the motorcycle away, racing off towards the exit.

As soon as the bike's noise was out of earshot, Sakura slumped against her car, sliding all the way to the floor. Tears started to flow freely from her eyes, and as she hugged her legs, heart breaking sobs came unbidden. She had never been so afraid in all her life. Having experienced fear in its rawest form, her body wasn't responding properly and was shaking fiercely. Her teeth clattered between sobs and she was powerless to stop them.

As she cried, she looked at the package near her feet. It looked like a shoe box, painted all in black. On top of the box, she could see another black envelope, secured with tape. Knowing what type of message she would find inside, she started crying harder, burying her face in her hands.

She'd finally realized where she'd heard that laugh… she'd heard it in her dream.

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"When did you receive the first threat?" Shikamaru patiently asked.

"Exactly a week ago," Sakura answered quietly.

"WHAT!" Naruto bellowed. "And why didn't you tell me anything!"

"Because I didn't want you to worry and I thought it might some kind of sick joke," Sakura countered, evidently distressed. Hinata placed an arm around her shoulder, giving her quiet support.

They were sitting in Sakura's office, just over an hour after the incident. As soon as she was able to compose herself, Sakura had gone up to the 9th floor, calling Naruto and Hinata immediately. Hearing only her sobs on the other end of the line, Naruto had come running, taking only 8 minutes to get there. Hinata arrived on his heels, an anxious look on her face.

She managed to tell them the whole story as both of them stared at her in shock. Hinata got up and called Shikamaru, their friend and detective at Konoha's police department. He'd arrived soon after and commenced his interrogation.

"Naruto, don't interrupt," Shikamaru said. "I need Sakura to tell me exactly everything that happened, every single detail. Even the smallest piece of information could help us solve this case."

Sakura breathed in deeply, asking silently for courage to relive those terrifying moments again. After an instant, she started spilling everything, from the note she found on her car to the stampeding motorcycle to the cruel and horrible laughter.

Shikamaru took it all in, taking notes on everything. Sakura had gone silent and he looked at her, as if trying to make sure she'd covered all the details. After a few moments, he spoke.

"Sakura, are you sure you do not have any enemies? Any business partners you stroke bad deals with or anyone you might have fired which could resent you?"

A look of concentration crossed her face, as if trying to remember someone. Eventually, she shook her head, not being able to come up with a single name.

Shikamaru sighed, hating to ask his next question. Even though he was reluctant to do so, he knew it was necessary.

"What about Sasuke?"

All three of them looked up at him with a look of horror on their faces. Naruto clenched his fist, but remained silent. Hinata in turn looked at Sakura, an extremely worried look on her face.

But a cold look passed through the pink haired girl's eyes, as she answered: "No, it is not Sasuke. He wouldn't so something like this. If he were planning to hurt me, he would have done so already, sneaking into my apartment or attacking me when I neared my car. He wouldn't play with me, he would be completely direct and kill me as soon as he had the chance. The person on the motorcycle wasn't him, I would have recognized his movements immediately."

Taking a quick breath, she finished, "Either way, he can't legally come within 100 feet of me in any direction, that was the verdict the judge gave him."

Shikamaru nodded, having been at the trial himself. "He could easily violate his restraining order, but if you're so sure it's not him, we will leave him out of this for now. Which leads me to my next question, have you opened the package yet?"

They all looked towards Sakura's desk where the painted black shoe box rested.

"No, I didn't have the courage to do so," Sakura admitted.

"Well, if that's the case, would you allow me?" Shikamaru asked. After a quick nod from her, he stepped up to the desk, putting some plastic gloves on.

He examined the box carefully, as if trying to memorize its appearance. Quickly, he took out a pocket knife, cutting the tape which tied the envelope to the package. Placing it on the desk, he then proceeded to open the top very slowly.

There was a plastic doll inside, its hair dyed a shocking tone of pink and its eyes carelessly painted green with a marker. It was clad in dress trousers and a blouse, exactly the same clothes Sakura wore to work. As Shikamaru lifted it from the box, the doll's head detached itself from the rest of its body, falling with a loud thump on the desk.

"These people have got to be sick," Naruto said, appalled by the sight of the grotesque artifact made in his friend's resemblance.

"I completely agree," Shikamaru said, examining the doll and picking up its head. "Well Sakura, it seems this package was meant as a representation of your coffin," he finished darkly.

Sakura held Hinata closer, holding the other girl's hand tightly, her eyes avoiding the doll completely.

Turning to the envelope, Shikamaru opened it slowly, taking out the paper inside. He read the message out loud:

_When her pink head rolls on the floor_

_Her green eyes will see the light no more_

"This person has a clear obsession with your hair, Sakura," he said after he finished reading. "They've mentioned it in both threats."

"Well, it is her most prominent feature," Hinata said quietly.

Shikamaru looked at the note, which was made up of newspaper clippings again. "Do you have the other note with you?" he asked.

"Yes, it's in my car."

"I'm going to need it. The next step is to take the evidence and run it through some tests to see if we can find anything. This is how we usually catch this type of criminal. However, while we do this, there's the chance you might get attacked again. So I recommend you come with me and I will relocate you to somewhere safe until we solve this."

"What do you mean somewhere safe?" Sakura asked, clearly not at all comfortable with the idea.

"It will most likely be somewhere outside the city, where the risks of an attack will be less."

"You mean to tell me you will take me up to a mountain house in the middle of nowhere and keep me locked up?" she said harshly.

"Well yes, if you want to put it that way," he answered, knowing where this conversation was leading. Women really were troublesome.

"I'm not the one who's supposed to get locked up, it's the psycho who's threatening me who should be put away!"

"I know how you feel Sakura, but…"

"No buts! I'm not going to give this guy the pleasure of seeing me run in fear, hiding somewhere, hoping he won't reach me. I have a business to run and I'm not going to stop living my normal life just because he wants me to wallow in fear before his threats!" she yelled, her temper kicking in.

"But Sakura-chan…" Naruto began to say.

"I said no BUTS!" she turned on him, eyeing him dangerously.

"Yare, yare," Shikamaru said, shaking his head. "Fine, if you're going to keep going about your everyday life as usual, you will need to get some protection, a body guard of some sorts. I will not let you go around without someone watching your back."

"A body guard?" Sakura asked, not liking the idea either.

"Yes, it's the only way I will let you stay in the city," Shikamaru said firmly. "There are many private companies which offer such service, I can get you their phone numbers."

Sakura nodded slowly, processing the information. She wasn't sure if she would welcome someone following her every step, shadowing her every move, but she knew it was necessary; they didn't know when another attack would come, and she didn't want to be alone to face it. Having someone around would prove very useful.

Naruto had gone unusually still, as if thinking about something deeply.

"Well, that's that then. I will escort you back to your apartment," Shikamaru said, placing the doll and note back in the box. "I also suggest you two spend the night with Sakura, especially Naruto. He's not a martial arts champion for nothing, it's about time we found a use for his skills."

Hinata nodded, rising from the couch. "If you want we can go in my car," she said to Sakura, "I'll have someone pick your car up in the morning and take it to your place."

Sakura nodded silently, a thankful smile on her face. As she was rising from her seat, Naruto's bellow pushed her back down on the couch.

"I KNOW WHO WE CAN GET!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, jumping about. "I know the perfect guy! He's a member of my dojo. He's out of the city right now, but he's coming back tomorrow. He's a professional body guard, Sakura. I'm sure you'll love him!"

Always suspicious of Naruto's "brilliant" ideas, she eyed him skeptically. Whenever he said she would love something, she usually ended up hating it.

* * *

On to the next installment:) Please review! 


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here you have it… Gaara makes his first appearance! As a side note, Gaara is really a difficult character to write, but I thoroughly enjoyed writing this. Hope you like it as well!

Disclaimer: yare, yare, I don't own anything.

* * *

_So we go along and we said we'd fake it,  
feel better with Oliver Stone,  
till I almost smacked him -  
seemed right that night,_

_And I don't know what takes hold  
out there in the desert cold  
these guys think they must  
try and just get over on us…_

_Tori Amos – _A sorta fairytale

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**Chapter 2 – Konoha Shidokan's Red Desert**

As the jet engines signaled the airplane's decent, Gaara shifted uncomfortably in his first class aisle seat. This "business trip" had been too long for his liking, and he was eager to get off this piece of metal junk and get back to his normal life.

Impatiently, he looked towards the man who had hired him, who was now leaning against the window, completely asleep. He was snoring softly, mouth gaping open, looking completely idiotic. Gaara resisted the urge to punch him awake, but managed to hold off his violent instincts. He was getting paid for this after all, and the end of his contract was just a few minutes away. As soon as the plane landed, he would be on his way.

Summoning the last remnants of his patience, he laid his head back on his seat, closing his eyes. Never in his wildest dreams would he have ever imagined he would end up being a personal bodyguard. It wasn't the job of a lifetime, but it paid well enough. His usual clients were rich and scrawny business men, like the one next him now, who were paranoid enough to hire a bodyguard on their business trips. The threats they perceived were usually imagined, but sometimes they were real enough… and that's where he came in. Notorious for his fighting skills, Gaara made quick work of any would be assassins or kidnappers. Three times Shidokan world champion, his form and technique were impressive. Solidly built and at 6 foot 1, he was the perfect embodiment of a human weapon, honed flawlessly for the kill. His appearance alone was usually enough to deter any attackers and those foolish enough to engage him in fighting learned the lesson well enough to never try it again… if they managed to survive.

No one could have expected any less from a violent boy who had learned to fight on the streets. With no mother and a drug addict for a father, Gaara and his 2 siblings had very little guidance growing up. However, his older sister Temari always made sure her 2 younger brothers always made it to school. She wasn't about to let them stay dumb. Having the theory that being smart gave you an advantage over everyone else, she infused both of them with it. So, Gaara never missed school and always managed to get top grades, despite the mess his life was.

Growing up on the "bad" side of town, there was always a fight around every corner. Since he was very little, Gaara discovered he had a knack for hand to hand combat. His reflexes had always been better than average, so when he started fighting, he realized he was faster than most. His brawls caught the attention of illegal gamblers, and at the age of 10, he was invited to one of their bare knuckle fights. His opponent was a boy of 16, who towered over Gaara's small frame. This didn't affect the end result though, which, an hour later, found a very bloody but very satisfied Gaara counting the large sum of money he had just earned. Money brought food to the table for him and his siblings…he kept coming to the fights twice a week.

Somewhere along the way, his father died. None of his children mourned him much though, since he was never a significant presence in their lives. It was around that time when Gaara discovered the dojo. He was walking aimlessly, as he sometimes did, when he entered a part of town to which he had never been. It was near the center, where the business district was and as he walked by, he heard some shouting. Gaara approached the window slowly, interested in what he was seeing.

There were some boys inside, most of them looked around his age and they were engaged in some sort of combat. But it was a different style of fighting from which he was accustomed to. Gaara was used to seeing people fight brutally, taking down their opponent as fast as they could. The harder you hit, the faster you won. It was logical. But what he was seeing differed so much from what he had always seen that he could not help but stare.

Two men approached the center of the floor; Gaara could only assume they were superiors of some kind. The boys formed a circle around them and sat on the floor, paying close attention. The men bowed to each other, then engaged.

The young street fighter had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. Their movements had grace and coordination to them, the fluidity of their attacks was carefully planned. Strength was tempered with control and they fought each other in an intricate dance. This fighting style was completely different to anything he had ever experienced. For this reason, he was completely absorbed by the spectacle and was not aware of someone approaching him from behind.

"Do you like what you see?" the man asked. He was dressed in the same uniform as the men fighting inside.

Gaara looked at him suspiciously, like a wounded animal about to fight or flee. He nodded his head after a moment.

"Well, those you see fighting are Hatake Kakashi and Maito Gai, both senseis at this dojo. My name is Urino Iruka. Would you care to come in and give it a try?"

A 13 year old Gaara stood quietly for a moment, looking up at the sign above the door he had failed to previously see. "Konoha Shidokan" it read. Not giving any answer, he walked in by himself.

That was the start of his battered relationship with his beloved martial art.

It had been difficult at the beginning, since everyone else was afraid of him. His brutality in fighting was reflected in his hostile personality. He established his dominance over the others quickly, battering them down until he confirmed their suspicions of him being a monster. If they thought so, he wouldn't deny their claims. He'd never had the need for others, so why should he start now if they were all so clearly below his level. His teachers would lose their patience with him, suspending him from the dojo for certain time periods to see if he would learn to treat his class mates with respect. But Gaara always came back as violent as ever, having little care for the welfare of others.

It would have continued this way endlessly, but then, Uzumaki Naruto came into the picture. At his hands, Gaara had suffered the first defeat of his life. He had been utterly devastated. How could this boy, this loud, friendly and disgustingly outgoing boy defeat him, Gaara, the king of underground street fighting? He was depressed and morose for weeks.

With defeat came the realization that his perspective of the world up to this point in his life had been wrong. His life took a 180 degree turn, as he suddenly started to realize he could learn many things through others, he could better himself through them. The transition in attitude was difficult to make, since he had never developed any people skills, but surely enough, Naruto had been there and had proclaimed himself Gaara's friend. _Friend_. The concept wasn't very clear in Gaara's young mind but he learned to accept it in time.

Now, more than 10 years later, his people skills had significantly improved but they were far from being perfect. Old habits died hard, and having spent the first 13 years of his life as nothing more than a fighting beast, Gaara still kept his safe distance from others, physically and emotionally. The only people who had been able to truly get through his barrier, he could count with the fingers of one hand: his 2 siblings and Naruto. Sure, there were others he knew, but he would not call them friends, they were more like acquaintances.

Gaara felt the plane starting to descend faster and the flight attendant approached him, as if to wake his traveling companion. He gave her such a deadly look, he was sure he heard a terrified squeak coming from her direction as she quickly turned away. Shaking his benefactor roughly awake, he smirked as the man nervously jumped to consciousness.

"We are about to land. Put your seat belt on," Gaara said coldly. His voice hid the anxiousness he felt, as he was eager to get home.

In 20 minutes, Gaara found himself walking towards the airport's outer doors. There, a sleek black limousine had pulled up to pick up the business man he was accompanying.

Nervously, the small man looked up at Gaara. "Well, um, thank you for your assistance. It was really appreciated."

Not gracing the other man with a glance, Gaara turned away, addressing him over his shoulder. "I expect the money in my bank account by Monday." The threat in his voice lingered in the air, making the rich man gulp loudly, nodding his head violently.

With that, Gaara signaled to an approaching taxi. Once inside the car, he slumped down on the seat, sighing loudly.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Konoha Shidokan dojo", he quickly answered.

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Stepping on the wooden floor, Gaara felt he was home at last. Having entered the dojo quietly, he made his way directly to the locker room. He needed a workout desperately, but the daily training sessions were still an hour away. Planning on warming up by himself, he dressed in his black uniform, bare feet touching the cool floor of the training hall.

Not having bothered to go into the office and greet anyone, Gaara gave Lee quiet a fright when he passed down the corridor.

"Kamisama, Gaara-san! You almost killed me!" he exclaimed, being his usual over dramatic self.

Gaara only nodded in his direction, this being his customary greeting.

"When did you come back?" Lee said, stepping into the training hall. Gaara wasn't sure he welcomed the interruption, but he swallowed his mild irritation, forcing himself to be nice.

"Just now. I landed in Konoha airport around half an hour ago," he said stoically.

"Sou ka," Lee answered. "Well, I would love to accept your invitation to stay and train…"

'Invitation?' Gaara thought with annoyance. 'When did I say anything?'

"… but I have to help Neji-san finish up his class with the kids. You know they always run rampart when they're finished, as if their training hadn't affected them at all." Lee's eyes then turned glassy, as if tears were threatening to run freely. "Ahh, the vigor of youth!" he finished.

Gaara only shook his head. He'd never been able to understand the strange demeanor of his class mate. He could only assume Lee picked up his bizarre behavior from hanging around with Gai-sensei so much. He'd never been able to understand their teacher too much, either.

"Well then," Lee said as he was leaving, "I'll see you in a while. I might even challenge you to a re-match!" Giving Gaara a thumbs up, he walked out.

Staring at the spot where he'd been standing, Gaara was once more amazed at Lee's perseverance. Even though Lee had been the first person to wound Gaara, their fights always ended in the red head's favor. Lee was fast, and he had improved greatly over the years, earning himself a reasonable amount of championship titles, but he was never quiet at Gaara's level. This gave him even more reason to train and to challenge Gaara at every opportunity he had. He just wouldn't give up.

Banishing these thoughts from his head, the red head started stretching. It had been two weeks since his last proper work out… two long and uncomfortable weeks. Even though he stayed at the best hotels and was offered the best service, there was always something about people with too much money that never sat well with him. He saw it whenever he took on a job. Those rich business men thought they owned the world just because they were economically powerful. They saw people like him, the people who worked for them, as inferior, mindless pawns who where there to do their bidding just because they depended on them monetarily. It made Gaara sick, especially when they took him for a stupid bodyguard, just brawns and no brain. Money just twisted your mind and made you lose respect for other human beings.

Breathing deeply, Gaara started drilling on his _katas_. His form and technique were flawless as he moved across the floor. Closing his eyes, he let his body be guided by the rhythm of his exercise. It was soothing how he could turn off his mind and concentrate only in the movements of his body. He reached such a state of meditation, he was barely aware of his surroundings. Continuing for almost half an hour non-stop, his state of mental serenity was finally disrupted when he heard a loud pounding on the window.

The training hall he was in had a large window facing the street. Any passerby could watch and see the members of the dojo training. Someone was beating on the window right now, and Gaara tried desperately to ignore the sound, but at one point it became unbearable.

A vein in his forehead twitched in irritation as he opened his eyes and looked towards the window, his most effective deadly stare in place. His anger was short lived however once he saw the ecstatic blond figure waving at him frantically on the other side.

'Why can't Naruto be normal and come inside to greet me?' Gaara thought, shaking his head. He motioned for the fox boy to come in, saving the window from its untimely demise.

Even though his face didn't show it and he would never openly admit it, Gaara was happy to see his friend. Naruto was the only person who was always pleased to see him whenever he got back from a job and throughout the years, the two of them had formed a strange but solid friendship. They were just so completely opposite they were bound to get along.

Naruto literally launched himself into the training hall, almost crashing against the red head.

"Gaara! You're back!" he exclaimed, overjoyed at having his friend's return. Despite the fact that he was always loud and outgoing, Naruto didn't really have many friends and had spent most of his childhood alone. He met Sakura until middle school and it was then when he really came to know what friendship truly was. Knowing Gaara had suffered a similar fate, he took it upon himself to rid the other boy of loneliness when they were younger and had gained a true and faithful companionship.

Gaara nodded, gracing the blond with one of his rare smiles. "Yes, just got back this morning," he said.

"You're just in time for training too!" Naruto yelled and as he did so, he started taking off his characteristic orange jacket, his shidokan uniform underneath. "Tell me all about your trip, how was it?"

"There's nothing much to say. It was the usual pain in the ass. Fancy hotel, fancy restaurants, stupid rich men with nothing else to do than spend their money on the most idiotic things."

"Did you fight anyone?" Naruto asked enthusiastically.

"I don't think punching a guy in the face counts as a fight. I hit him once and he fell unconscious," Gaara answered, an uninterested tone in his voice.

"Oh," said a deflated Naruto. "That's not much of a challenge. And why did you hit him?"

"The man I was hired by had the 'magnificent' idea of going out to a club one night. Not only does it make my job more difficult, but the inebriated state of most of the people around only gives trouble. My benefactor was at the wrong place at the wrong time and was about to get hit by a very drunk troublemaker, so I had to intervene."

"I see. Not much fun," Naruto said. "Hey, want to warm up with a quick spar? The others should be coming in soon."

Gaara's answer came in the form of a quick attack launched at the blond.

Blocking the red head's blows with ease, the fox boy laughed. "Is this the best you can do? You've gone soft Sabaku no Gaara."

"You wish," was the reply he received, as Gaara picked up speed, his blows coming faster and faster.

They went at it for a little while, alternating offense and defense, stopping only when the rest of their class mates stepped into the hall.

Breathing rapidly as they disengaged, Gaara looked towards his friend. Naruto grinned back at him, breathing quickly himself. A sense of wellbeing descended over the red head and he was reminded of how glad he was to be back.

xxxxxxxxxx

Lining up in front of their sensei, the members of Konoha Shidokan's elite class got ready for training. There were only a few of them, since only a small number of people ever reached this level of skill and dedication. These daily training sessions weren't meant to teach them anything new but were intended to maintain their dexterity and keep their bodies honed. Each of them had a nick name by which they were notoriously known in the world of shidokan fighting.

'_Kyuubi Naruto'_. What the blond lacked in height he more than made up for it in power. His strength and resistance had won him 4 world championships and it was said he was aiming for the fifth. He was nicknamed so for his classmates avowed there was a demon spirit of a fox living within him, which gave him unearthly strength when he fought. Fiery and loyal, he would never step out of a fight, especially when it came to defend the honor of his team.

'_Byakugan Neji'_. Martial arts genius of the Hyuuga family and 2 times world champion. His clear, transparent eyes where said to pierce through an opponent's very soul, earning him his nickname. Nothing was missed by the eyes of Neji, and his close combat style was said to rob the energy of even the most prominent adversary. Cold and detached on the outside, passionate and thoughtful friend on the inside, his leadership qualities gained him the title of team captain.

'_Sabaku no Gaara'_. Konoha Shidokan's fighting machine, he was right on Naruto's heels with 3 world championships under his arm. Cruel and merciless when he fought, opponents who fought him said the experience was like being lost in a sand storm, where you couldn't see anything and you were forced to succumb under his overwhelming strength and perfectly placed attacks. Having had problems when relating to others when he first joined the dojo, he was now accepted and valued as an irreplaceable asset.

'_Green Beast Lee'_. Konoha's whirlwind, no one could match him when it came to speed. Dancing his way between any opponents' attack, he managed to come out unscathed from the most dangerous fights. Self proclaimed 'Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast', his nickname was a short version of this self given title. It was rumored he was planning to steal the world championship from either Naruto or Gaara this year, and was training hard to do so.

'_Bukigura Tenten'_. The only girl on the team, she was the newest member. Having passed through a number of martial arts schools, she was more than proficient with any type of sharp weapon, hence her nickname. She always had an unexpected trick up her sleeve, it was said she was capable of fighting 3 people at once and emerge as the victor. Wanting to try her skills at close hand combat, she joined the dojo, planning on winning some titles in the female category.

'_Kamakiri Shino'_. Konoha Shidokan's praying mantis, his fighting techniques mimicked the postures and movements of insects. Fast thinking and clever, he kept his opponent's guessing at all times, always one step ahead in his movements. Even though he was quite and reserved, everyone on the team knew he was a faithful friend and would always be there when needed.

As Maito Gai looked them over, tears came unbidden to his eyes. Along with Kakashi, he had been their sensei for years. Together they had traveled a long and difficult road, experiencing pain and happiness, but here they were, mature and grown up, with the splendor of youth still shining in their eyes.

Fisting his hand in front of his face, he exclaimed: "My most trustworthy students! I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that I am extremely proud of all of you! You have all come far and we still have a long journey ahead of us, but keep up the good work and we will make it!" Giving them a thumbs up, he flashed them all with one of his characteristic smiles.

Gaara rolled his eyes. Trust his luck to leave him and have Gai-sensei training them today. Most of his fellow classmates had the same reaction though; only Lee seemed thrilled. After having suffered 10 years of thumbs ups, flashy smiles and random pep talks, their effects had worn out a long time ago.

"Now to the business at hand," Gai was saying. "As you all know we have an upcoming tournament within a month. I want you all to train hard, since we have been challenged by our biggest rival: Sound's Shidokan."

All their faces turned grim and serious. Out of the corner of his eyes, Gaara saw Naruto clench his fist, his arm trembling slightly.

"However, we are not the only dojo they are challenging. Mist and Cloud will also participate, so we will not only be fighting Sound's elite, but these dojo's best as well. Therefore, we need to train on their techniques too and try to gain an advantage. We have fought Mist before, but not Cloud, so we will be having some special sessions dedicated to their particular fighting skills."

All of them nodded, each one absorbed in their own thoughts, looking forward to the upcoming combats.

"Now, we will start today's training with a few spars then we will move on to a quick summary of Cloud's most prominent techniques. GO!" Gai finished with a shout.

The elite members of Konoha's Shidokan separated in 2 lines of 3, facing each other. At Gai's command, they started fighting, sparring with the person in front. At another command from Gai, they stopped and faced the next person down the line, fighting each other for time frames of 2 minutes at a time. They kept this up for a while, losing themselves in the rhythm of the quick combats.

Gaara relished in the feeling, this being exactly what he needed to vent his frustration from the previous week. He fought Naruto, then Shino, then Lee… all of them willing victims of the pace in their fighting. Next came Tenten, followed by Neji, their movements keeping time with Gai's commands. It was a graceful dance, and Gaara couldn't think of a single thing he enjoyed more.

Afterwards, Gai-sensei drilled them on some of Cloud's techniques, showing them how they attacked and how they could defend themselves. This consumed the rest of their training session, the 2 hours going by too fast for Gaara. The next thing he knew, their sensei was dismissing them, saying he would see them all tomorrow.

xxxxxxxxxx

Sitting down on the cool wooden floor, Gaara and Naruto breathed deeply, slowly recuperating from their exercise. The rest of their teammates where in similar positions, scattered around the hall.

"Oi, Gaara!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot to tell you. I need to ask you a favor."

Gaara shook his head, expecting Naruto to ask for some money to buy some ramen. "What favor?"

"I should've asked sooner," Naruto continued sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "The thing is, a friend of mine is in need of a bodyguard."

"Really? And why would that be?" Gaara asked, uninterested. He'd just arrived from a job this morning, he wasn't planning on getting hired for at least a while.

"Well," Naruto said, going quite for a moment, lowering his voice so no one else could hear. "She's been receiving some death threats, but we don't know who's sending them. The police are already working on it, but while they investigate, she needs to have someone watching her back, just in case she's attacked again."

Gaara looked at him curiously, somewhat confused. "Death threats? And what do you mean, _she_?"

The fox boy's eyes lit up. "Yes, Sakura-chan. You know, my childhood friend, the one I always tell you about."

'Oh yes, the rich brat, owner of that large medicine firm,' Gaara thought. 'No wonder someone wants to kill her.'

"Come to think of it," Naruto was saying, "I don't know why you two haven't met yet; you're both my friends."

'Maybe because I don't particularly enjoy the company of wealthy bimbos,' the red head kept thinking.

"Listen Naruto," he said out loud. "I just finished a job today and I don't plan on taking on another one in some time. I want to concentrate on training for the upcoming tournament. The last thing I want to be doing is babysitting a little rich girl."

"But she really needs you," Naruto said, his tone urgent. "Gaara, some psycho wants her dead and from the threats she's received, he means business. I know you don't know her, but trust me, Sakura-chan _doesn't_ deserve this. She's a sweet person and her intelligence usually leaves other people baffled. I know what you think of rich people, but she doesn't fit the stereotype you so faithfully cling to. Please give her a chance. If you won't do it for her, please do it for me".

Gaara stared dumbstruck at his friend, not quite sure if the words he'd just heard had come out of his mouth. This was the first time in his life he'd seen Naruto genuinely worried and the first time he'd heard him seriously ask for his help. 'And of course, this would naturally happen when I least want it to," Gaara thought, burying his face in his hands. 'Damn you Naruto, why do you have to make this personal?'

"Because it is," the blond answered as Gaara belatedly realized he'd spoken out loud. "Anything that has to so with Sakura-chan is personal to me… she's like my sister. It's my duty to try and help in any way I can, and my aid will come in the form of getting you to help her."

The red head looked up, seeing a genuine silent plea in the fox boy's eyes. Sighing, Gaara thought things over one last time, even though he knew his cause was lost. Naruto had done greater and countless favors for him throughout their friendship and he was now asking for Gaara to return them. Deep inside, the red head knew he had no real excuse to say no.

"Fine," he said coldly, eliciting a wide grin from the blond. "I'll do it. But keep in mind that I'm doing it as a favor for _you_ and not for _her_."

"Got it!" Naruto happily exclaimed, over thrilled at the fact that Sakura would now be watched by the city's best fighter and protector.

"When do I meet with her?" Gaara asked, breathing out loudly.

"Right now!" Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head once more, "I told her to come over after our daily training."

"_What?"_

As if on cue, a shiny 645 BMW came to a stop outside the training hall window. From it, two female figures emerged, both dressed in business suits. However, Gaara's gaze was directly drawn to the pink haired tresses of the driver, as she got out of the car and removed her sunglasses from her face. Deep green eyes looked around, taking every detail in.

'Great,' he thought. 'She just has to have the brightest head in the city; any would be assassin can spot her a mile away!'

Naruto was already up and pounding at the window. "Oi, Sakura-chan! In here!"

The pink haired girl waved happily at him, but her companion only managed to smile shyly at the blond, her cheeks tinged slightly pink.

As Hinata and Sakura went into the dojo, Gaara turned towards Naruto.

"How could you ask her to come here," he hissed. "This is _our_ space, not hers. I could have easily gone to her office."

"Ano," Naruto said, taken aback. "What's wrong with Sakura-chan coming here? I thought it was more practical for her to come over, since I knew you would definitely be here for training."

Gaara grimaced at his friend's "genial idea" of bringing a spoiled rich girl into their martial arts sanctuary. Fighting back an urge to pound the blond's head against the wall, he stood up fixing up his uniform, trying to look as presentable as possible after an intense 2 hour shidokan workout.

In that precise moment, Sakura and Hinata walked into the hall.

"Hi there, Naruto," Sakura greeted happily.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, I'm glad you got here. Hello there, Hinata."

The black haired girl only nodded her head shyly.

"I want you to meet your future protector and bodyguard," Naruto kept saying proudly, "this is…"

But he was interrupted by a flash of green moving in between them. Sakura blinked just to find her hand being held by a kneeling Lee.

"Who is this flower who has come and graced us with her gorgeous presence?" he asked with a flourish.

Sakura held back a shriek, trying to take her hand back, but Lee held on to it firmly. Tenten and Neji had now come closer, viewing the scene with curiosity. Gaara only managed to roll his eyes, wanting to get the whole thing over with.

"This is Sakura," Naruto said irritably. "Sakura, this is…"

But he was interrupted again. "I am Konoha's Beautilful Green Beast, Rock Lee. My sweet lady, I am at your service and will always be there whenever you need me."

With that, he flashed the pink haired girl with his characteristic smile, a perfect imitation of Gai's, and proceeded to kiss her hand gently.

Tenten was giggling as Sakura's cheeks tinged pink. She looked back at Naruto, somewhat confused. "Is this him?" she quietly mumbled.

"No!" Naruto said, angry now. "This baka is just a classmate and a showoff! Let her go!"

He took Sakura by the arm, kicking Lee aside and grabbing hold of Gaara with his other hand. He dragged them out of the training room into the hall.

As Hinata turned to follow them, she looked back at Neji who was now standing next to a laughing Tenten.

"Neji-oniisan", she greeted quietly. "It's been a long time."

"Yes it has," he answered coldly, "Hinata-sama."

The black haired girl smiled hesitantly as she walked out of the room. Tenten eyed them both curiously, not sure what to make out of the whole incident.

Back in the hallway, Naruto was continuing where he'd left off.

"Sakura, this is Gaara, your new bodyguard."

Green eyes looked up at him, taking his every detail in. His red hair was his most prominent feature after the red tattoo on his forehead. 'Love', Sakura read, some what intrigued. Looking at him close up, he was solidly built, muscles hidden beneath the lose uniform he wore. But what drew her attention even more were his eyes; jade eyes just like hers, but rimmed in black as if they had been painted. They were defensive and showed no emotion, as if trying to hide something from the rest of the world. A strange feeling came over her when she looked into his eyes, something she could not place. She could not tell if it was curiosity or apathy. Trying to fight this reaction, she tried to be nice.

"Nice to meet you," Sakura in an overly friendly tone, smiling widely and stretching out her hand.

Her smile was met by a cold calculating stare. Gaara reached out and shook her hand in a quick gesture, not wanting any useless chitchat.

"When do I start?" he asked callously.

Sakura was taken aback by his tone, and in answer, her own visage hardened. Maybe it was apathy after all.

"Tomorrow morning. You will meet me in my office. Here is the address," she said matching his tone, giving him a small business card. "We will discuss your contract details then."

Taking the card, Gaara quickly looked it over. Nodding once, he turned on his heel making his way to the showers.

As the red head disappeared down the hallway, Naruto turned to Sakura.

"Ano, gomen nasai, Sakura-chan. He's not very open when meeting new people, but he'll get better once you get to know him.

'_Who said I wanted to get to know him?_' Inner Sakura squealed. _"He's a rude, arrogant bastard!"_

"We'll see", she skeptically managed to say.

Naruto grinned, thinking the whole situation had gone really well. "Alright, I'll see you girls later," he said, turning in the direction Gaara had gone.

"Good bye, Naruto-kun," Hinata shyly said. The blond turned round and waved happily at her.

Sakura, on the other hand, stared down the hall angrily, arms crossed in front of her, not satisfied at all with her "future" bodyguard.

xxxxxxxxxx

As the two girls drove away, Gaara and Naruto were dressing in the locker room.

"So, what did you think of her?" Naruto asked, trying to keep his tone friendly and casual.

Gaara kept quiet, not wanting to think about his all too pink and all too pleasant benefactor. The happy-go-lucky attitude she had shown him had almost made him sick.

"Well?" Naruto insisted.

Not wanting to be mean to his friend, Gaara thought of the nicest thing to say. "She's a bit too sweet for my taste, but I will have to get to know her better."

The blond returned Gaara's statement with a large grin. "Good," he finally said. "If you give her a chance you'll see she's as great as I say."

Turning to close his locker door, Naruto failed to see the red head's grim look. An ominous feeling crept up Gaara's spine, knowing very well that when Naruto said something was great, he usually ended up abhorring it.

Leaning back against the wall, Konoha Shidokan's fighting machine didn't garner much hope, but prayed, for his own sanity, for this time to be different.

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Haha! There you have it! I'll try updating as soon as possible, but as you can see, I tend to write long chapter, so it takes a while. :) Please review! 


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note:_ I got this up as soon as I could. I was kind of distracted with the new Harry Potter book (YEY!) this weekend, but I finally managed to finish the chapter.

I was planning to include some song lyrics before every installment but it's just too difficult to find fitting lyrics for every chapter. So I'll include them when I think it's appropriate.

A HUGE thanks goes out to all of you who have reviewed! You have no idea how much I appreciate it.

**Purple.Cherry.Blossoms: **I have to agree that my like in Sasuke has been deteriorating as well… why does he have to be and act so _stupid? _Grrrrr… I used to like SasuSaku, but I think I'm partly writing this fic as some sort of revenge… hehe (evil grin).

**Sakura Kage: **Don't worry, the stalker/psycho will be revealed in due time (smiles knowingly). I have to keep you on your toes!

Disclaimer: You guessed it, I don't own anything!

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**Chapter three – Hiring the Sand**

"You look overly morose this morning," Temari said teasingly, eyeing her baby brother as she walked in.

Gaara sat on a stool, having a bowl of cereal for breakfast on the kitchen counter. He looked up slowly, grunting in greeting at his sister, returning to his food immediately.

The three siblings shared a four bedroom house near the outskirts of the city. It wasn't far enough from Konoha's center to be labeled a suburb, but it was a great improvement in living quarters. Having spent their childhood sharing a small two room apartment with their abusive father, the three of them had slept in the same room for over 10 years. Once they had grown up enough to get stable jobs, all of them pitched in to buy the house, moving away from their shabby neighborhood, never to return.

'He's been back one day and he's already brooding about something,' the blond woman thought, as she made her way to the fridge. 'How typical of him.'

She was probably the only person who could tell the difference between his usually serious façade and his true bad moods. To any other person, he would appear the same, cold, serious and calculating, no matter what he was feeling inside. Having been his sister all her life and having experienced his volatile temper first-hand many times, she'd become quite an expert in reading his body language.

Taking some orange juice out, Temari eyed him one more time. Deciding he was safe to talk to, she pulled up a stool next to him, sitting down. She looked him over first, thinking over her strategy of how she was going crack his moody shell. The opportunity presented itself when she noticed he was already showered and dressed, giving her an ample clue as to why he was so gloomy.

"You're showered and ready early today. You just came back yesterday. I thought you would sleep all day today," she said casually, throwing her bait.

Surprisingly enough, he took it immediately. "I got a new job," he said angrily, giving her such a deadly look that any other person would have cowered and left instantly. She wasn't any normal person however… Gaara wasn't the only one who had grown up on the streets.

"Really?" she said, ignoring his look. "Who are you watching over this time?"

"Some stupid rich girl who's the owner of a large medicine firm," he said, a bit too roughly.

"I see," she answered quietly. "But if you didn't want the job, then why did you take it?"

"Because of that baka, Naruto!" he practically yelled as he stood up, throwing his breakfast bowl in the sink.

'So that's it,' Temari thought. 'This mystery didn't take long to solve.'

"What does Naruto have anything to do with this?" she patiently probed.

"The girl I'm going to work for is his friend. His _best_ friend," he disgustingly said. "He asked me to look over her as a personal favor, so I didn't have much choice in the matter."

Temari could almost laugh. In any other light, the situation would have been funny as she saw her brother throw a tantrum like a 5 year old. This was Gaara, however, and knowing how dangerous he was, she didn't dare smile. Instead, she tried to calm him down.

"Ok, so you had no choice in the matter and now you're stuck with the job. But that doesn't mean you need to be _nice_ to her. You just do your job, fulfill the basics. Naruto can't force you to like her. All you need to do is protect her. No one can force you to become _her _best friend. Just take it like any other job. If you keep your distance and don't let her get to you, you'll be fine."

Gaara looked intently at her for a moment, his anger slowly leaving his face. He weighed her words, finally deciding she was right. No one could force him to like the pink haired girl. All he had to do was pretend she was like any other business person he had worked for… why should she be any different, anyway?

Temari looked him over, realizing his tantrum had passed. She smiled at him slightly, trying to pull him out of his brooding completely.

He sighed loudly in response, nodding his head. "You're right," he said quietly. "I need to treat this like any other job."

Making his way upstairs, Gaara went into the bathroom and brushed his teeth quickly. Going into his room, he thought about taking a jacket, but then decided against it; it would only be an extra item he would have to carry. He hastily made his way downstairs again. Even though he cared nothing for his present job, it wouldn't do to be late.

He looked at Temari, who was still seated in the kitchen, as he opened the front door. He graced her with a brief smile before he left, bracing himself to face the day ahead.

Alone in the house, the blond woman sighed quietly, looking directly at the door her brother had just closed.

"You're welcome", she softly whispered.

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"Good morning," a bashful Hinata practically squeaked as a looming Gaara stood over her desk, arms crossed in front of him.

"Ano… Sakura-san will see you in just a moment. She's finishing up with a meeting. Please take a seat," she finished, gesturing towards some couches to the side.

Without saying anything, Gaara ungraciously plopped down into one, looking directly at the wall in front, as if trying to pierce a whole into it.

Hinata swallowed… hard. There was something unnerving about this bodyguard Naruto had recommended to them. He was just _too_ cold. She admitted she always acted timidly around people, but he was effectively making her feel even smaller than she already felt.

Not being one to break under pressure, Hinata gathered her courage.

"Would you like some coffee?" she offered bravely.

Gaara slowly turned to her, black rimmed eyes falling directly on her face.

Hinata thought she would faint.

Noting the girl's uncomfortable demeanor, Gaara tried to relax. None of this was her fault… she was just doing her job. She was in the same position he was in, working for Sakura, so there was no point in taking his frustration out on her. Come to think of it, he might be able to form some sort of alliance with her, since they were in the same predicament, or so he thought. Striking some sort of friendship with this dark haired girl might help him survive this whole ordeal.

Plastering his friendliest expression on his face, which he knew wasn't very good, he accepted her offer.

Hinata breathed out loud enough for him to hear. Getting up from her desk, she walked over to the coffee machine located by the window. Sakura simply loved coffee and decided she just had to have a machine at work. It was just like the ones you found at cafés, only a bit smaller. It was one of the luxuries Sakura had decided she deserved.

"Would you like a latte, cappuccino, or mocha?" Hinata asked.

A small surprised look on his face revealed Gaara's confusion. 'Since when is getting a cup of coffee so difficult?' he thought.

"A latte, please," he finally answered, as Hinata turned to prepare his cup.

Gaara returned to his intent staring at the wall, mentally noting that this job would take some getting used to. The red head was accustomed to business trips and hotels were he would only mingle with serious looking men in suits. Once he thought about it, he'd never worked for a female employer before. He could only pray this wouldn't complicate things further… women had a way of getting on his nerves.

Hinata approached him with a large cup of coffee. As he took it from her, he murmured a quiet "thank you" and proceeded to sip from the cup, looking at the black haired assistant as she sat back down at her desk.

Thinking it would be prudent to gather some information before meeting with Sakura, he tried to smile and be friendly.

"So," he said, trying to be casual, "how long have you been working here?"

Hinata looked at him suddenly, as if she hadn't expected him to speak. Averting her eyes nervously, she wrung her hands for a moment before speaking.

"Ano, I've been working here for 7 years now, ever since Sakura took hold over management. She was only 18 at the time and needed all the help she could get."

"Why did she take over the company when she was so young?" Gaara asked.

"Actually, she inherited Hphar when she was 17, but wasn't legally allowed to take over until she was 18." Hinata paused for a moment, looking sad. "Sakura's parents died; first her mother and then her father shortly after."

"I see," the redhead said thoughtfully. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Even though he actually didn't mean that last statement, he knew it was only polite to say so. Having lost his mother the day he was born and his father, or semblance of a father in fact, when he was 13, Gaara thought no one could have had it as tough as him. At least Sakura's parents had left her something with which to secure her future. All his parents had left him were some deep emotional scars which would probably never go away.

Deliberately breaking this line of thought, Gaara shook his head slightly. He was about to ask Hinata something else, but the large door next to her desk suddenly opened.

"Thank you for the reports, I really found them useful," a smiling Sakura was saying, as she stepped out of her office accompanied by three men. They were older than her, probably in their thirties, but acted towards the pink haired woman with great respect.

After a quick exchange of pleasantries and farewells, the men made their way to the elevator, passing directly in front of Gaara's seat. They looked him over with an arrogant smirk, as if judging him unworthy of the place he was in. The redhead took it all in stride, since this wasn't the first time he'd experienced such looks, but made a mental note of their faces, just in case he met them on the street one day.

As she watched her finance team walk away, Sakura's gaze inevitably fell to the sitting man on one of her waiting couches. Releasing her breath slowly through a small gap in her lips, she reminded herself of the conclusion she had come to last night.

Naruto had come over for dinner at her small apartment, and their conversation had unavoidably turned to the redhead at hand. Sakura had told Naruto she thought she didn't want Gaara for the job, but the blond wouldn't hear any of it. After a few minutes of bickering, Naruto went quiet, and told Sakura briefly about his friend's troubled childhood, which explained why he wasn't the friendliest person on the planet. Naruto told her how Gaara had been as alone as he had been when he was young, and reminded her of how she had managed to see beyond his own appearance and had become his true friend. According to the blond, the least Sakura could do for Gaara was to give him a chance, just like she had done for him.

Cursing the fox boy for making things personal, Sakura had relented and decided she would be as open and as friendly as she could. But she warned Naruto that if Gaara stepped out of line, she would give him a piece of her mind.

Now, when the moment came to put her words into action, Sakura hesitated. She couldn't help but go over the events of the day before when they had met briefly. In only a few seconds, Gaara had managed to ignite her temper in such a way that her head had actually hurt for a while. Feeling the trickling of anger at the memory, Sakura was about to tell him to leave when the image of a smiling blue-eyed blond came into her mind.

Defeated, she turned towards the sitting red head, smiling as honestly as she could. He would be defending her life after all, she should be somewhat grateful for the gesture, even though it was his job.

"Good morning," she said amiably. "Please step into my office."

Nodding at her in greeting, Gaara stood up from the couch, making his way into her office.

Behind his back, Hinata and Sakura exchanged meaningful looks, the dark haired girl wishing her boss luck with this encounter. From what she had experienced just now, Sakura was going to need it.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Take a seat," Sakura said, as she gestured to an armchair in front of her desk.

Without a word, the redhead sat down, arms crossed, looking at his surroundings.

'I wonder if he's actually evaluating my office for security,' the pink haired woman thought. 'Naruto said he was really professional, but he surely doesn't look like it.'

Sakura eyed him for a moment, taking in his appearance. Gaara was wearing a black t-shirt, some relatively baggy cargo pants and black trainers. If you would meet him on the street, you would never think he was a qualified bodyguard… except maybe for his well built frame. But apart from that, he gave no clue regarding his profession.

'We're going to have to do something about his clothes. He can't possible go out to a business dinner dressed like that,' Sakura was thinking when the man under her inspection suddenly spoke.

"Naruto tells me you've been receiving death threats," he said, as if it were an everyday occurrence. "Would you mind telling me more about it?"

"Don't you want to go over your contract details first?" Sakura asked, somewhat surprised at his straightforward manner.

"I'd prefer to see what I'm dealing with first before I take on a job," Gaara replied, his face a mask of stone.

Nodding hesitantly, Sakura looked away from him, her face showing her nervousness clearly. It would seem she wasn't prepared to go over the subject so soon.

However, much to her credit, her green eyes hardened as she turned to face Gaara directly once more.

"I received a couple of death notes. The first was a little more than a week ago and the second one two days ago. Initially I thought it all was some sort of sick joke… I didn't think anyone would _really_ want to kill me… it just seems so, impossible…"

She grew quiet for an instant, as if taking the enormity of her situation in. The redhead watched her curiously, assessing her demeanour. From what he could see, she was genuinely afraid, but was trying hard not to show it. Considering the situation, it was only natural for her to feel this way and the fact that she wasn't cowering before the threats only added points in her favour. The last thing Gaara needed was a panicky and jumpy female on his hands.

"The second time was a lot more direct than the first," Sakura continued. "The first time, they just left me the note on my car's windshield. But the next time…well, I was attacked in the basement of this building."

"You were attacked?" Gaara interrupted.

"More or less. I wasn't attacked physically, but it was definitely some sort of assault. I was making my way to my car late at night, when a black motorcycle stampeded me. It finally stopped when it was almost on top of me, but still, I thought I was done for."

"Did you see the driver?" the redhead asked, trying to obtain as much information as possible.

"No, he… or she, I really couldn't tell… they were dressed completely in black, including their helmet. It was impossible for me to see the driver's face."

"I see," he replied thoughtfully.

"After the motorcycle stopped, a package was thrown at my feet. It not only contained another death threat, but had a plastic doll, dressed in my resemblance. It even had pink hair and green eyes… it was incredibly grotesque."

Sakura remembered how the doll's head had rolled when Shikamaru picked it up. Shuddering imperceptibly, she preferred not to tell Gaara about it, the memory was simply too disturbing.

She grew quiet as Gaara analyzed the information she had just given. He'd seen similar cases before, but usually, there was an evident reason for the threats. From what Naruto and Sakura had hinted, they had no idea why she was receiving death notes.

'We'll find out soon enough,' he thought.

"Alright," the redhead said out loud. "I'll take the job."

"Great!" Sakura exclaimed, a large, genuine smile on her face. She was incredibly relieved since she hadn't expected him to analyze her case first before taking the job. Deep down inside, she had been worried he would reject her offer to hire him. Even though he was as amiable as an iceberg, she preferred having him as a bodyguard than a complete stranger.

'If Naruto trusts him, then maybe I should too,' she said to herself.

Immersed in her thoughts, she failed to notice Gaara's curious expression. She was genuinely happy with him for taking the job, something never experienced before by his employers. Most of the business men who hired him always did so because they had no other choice and it was evident they didn't appreciate his company. Having become an expert in reading other people's body language, the smile Sakura had just graced him with was authentic, a gesture rarely directed at him.

'Maybe this job will be slightly tolerable,' he said to himself. But then he remembered he was dealing with a spoiled rich girl, someone who probably used actual money to fuel her fireplace. Hardening his eyes once more, he turned to her as she spoke.

"Alright, now that you've accepted, I'd really appreciate it if you told me how this whole bodyguard business works. As you can tell, I've never done this before."

"It's simple," he said, smirking slightly. "I trail your every move from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. At least that's how it works when I accompany my employers on business trips. Your case is different however, since I would be accompanying you on your daily routine."

Sakura nodded as he spoke, giving him her full attention.

"Depending on your needs, I can be with you 24 hours a day, which would mean I will need to sleep over at your place," he sneered at the uncomfortable look on her face before continuing. "But that would cost you more. If you don't need me there 24 hours a day, we can work out a schedule."

"I think we can start off with an arranged schedule," Sakura said, not at all comfortable with the idea of having this walking piece of ice staying over. "I can pick you up on my way to work and drop you off when I finish."

"That would give your assailant opportunity to attack you on your way to work _and_ on your way back. Hiring me wouldn't be make any difference in that case, since both times you have been threatened happened when you were on your way home."

The pink haired woman's eyes widened slightly at his observation. She hated to admit it, but he was absolutely right.

"What do you suggest then?"

"I think it would be better for me to arrive at your house before you leave for work. I would also accompany you on your way back and then leave on my own."

"What if I want to go out for dinner or a drink?"

"It would be the same. I accompany you wherever you go until you come home," Gaara replied patiently, as if he were explaining things to a child.

"And on weekends?"

"We arrange a schedule as well where I can arrive later than on weekends, for I presume you like to sleep late on your days off. But apart from that, the routine would be the same. But I would like to point out that if you want to go out on weekends and plan on coming back home late, it will cost you."

With the way he emphasized the last statement, Sakura was sure he wasn't looking forward to such an event.

"Don't worry, I don't like to party much," she said. "But I'll keep it in mind just the same."

"Also, I will also need a copy of your house keys in case of an emergency."

"WHAT?" Sakura asked, a blush rising quickly on her cheeks. _Was he crazy?_ What he had just proposed was completely indecent… he could walk in on her while she walked around naked in her apartment! Not that she usually did that, but you never knew. Inner Sakura was outraged, throwing a proper tantrum.

"You heard me," Gaara replied impatiently. "Get those stupid ideas out of your head. I'm not interested in seeing you naked. You don't have to worry about that."

Inner Sakura was now offically furious. _How dare he? Does he think I'm repulsive? He has no idea of how many men would die to see my amazing figure! Arrogant bastard!_

As she glared at him, Gaara grew quiet. After a few moments, Sakura managed to compose herself, calming her inner self down. Once she thought about it, he did have a point. Also, the fact that he would have his own key would be good for weekends, when he could just come in to her apartment without waking her up.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth.

"Good," he replied. "Do you have any other questions?"

Sakura looked thoughtful for an instant. "Not at the moment, but if something comes up I'll ask you."

They proceeded to tie up all the minor cost details and Gaara's salary. Sakura didn't know if his service was costly or not, since she hadn't done this before. Knowing this whole thing was necessary, however, she didn't complain and agreed to the price he set.

After everything was set up, all the proper contracts signed, Sakura took out a folio from one of her drawers.

"I'm going to be working all morning, so to keep you busy, I made this file for you to go over," she said, handing it to him. "It's a record of all the people I have close contact with at work, people you don't need to be suspicious of."

'Your attacker could be anyone, including these people," Gaara thought. But he kep quiet. He also knew this would be most helpful to him in identifying any possible threats and was amazed at her for making such a smart move. 'At least she's not stupid.'

He nodded as he took the folio from her.

Sitting back in her large chair, Sakura sighed. "I really do need to get some work done. Make yourself comfortable wherever you like."

Gaara stood, making his way to the sitting area across the office. Placing the folio on his lap as he sat, he looked at the large window, enjoying the amazing view it offered for a moment. Despite its location, the redhead didn't look forward to being cooped up in this office all day.

Due to this, he suddenly had a foreboding feeling, knowing this could be the most boring job in his life. Looking down at the folio, he decided he would take his time going through it, just to keep himself occupied.

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"YES! Lunch!" Sakura exclaimed as they stood outside the Italian restaurant, Hinata and Gaara standing beside her.

Hinata smiled at her while Gaara glared. She had given him quiet a fright when all of a sudden, she had stood up from her desk chair in a flash, screaming something about today being Friday and of how she deserved to go out for lunch. He just wasn't used to noisy and boisterous women, and he didn't think he would ever be.

Effectively, they now stood outside her chosen restaurant, making their way inside. Some waiters came to greet them, leading them to their seats.

Gaara, as he was accustomed to, proceeded to sit down at a nearby table. His employers never appreciated his company at their table, since he was just a simple worker. They would never have someone of his station sharing a meal with them. It was unheard of.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked angrily as she saw him sit down.

Thinking he hadn't done anything wrong, he looked at her defensively. "What?"

In a moment of insight, Sakura knew why he was sitting separate from them and realized how badly his previous employers must have treated him. She knew because she had seen it before, on business dinners with fellow managers, how they would actually make their bodyguards stand during their whole meal, which could last up to 3 hours. Thinking it was completely disrespectful, she had always frowned at such behaviour. She had never thought of treating Gaara in such a way, no matter how mean he was.

"If you think I'm going to let you eat apart from us like if you were my servant, you're completely wrong," she said. "Stop being a fool and take a seat with us. I can't promise you will like the conversation, but it's better than eating alone."

Gaara looked at her, his surprise evident in his expression. At first, he did not know how to react… he didn't know if he should feel insulted or grateful. But then, he saw the genuine smile she was giving him and realized she was being honest. She was treating him with respect, something he would have never expected from any of his former benefactors. Somehow some of the tension he had been feeling since he had agreed to take this job began to slowly fade.

He stood up, a small smile on his face. "I'll probably just end up leaving the table anyway. I'm not sure I'll be able to tolerate any _girl talk._"

After a moment, Sakura laughed, realizing he was joking with her. Hinata giggled as well, never expecting any type of humour from the cold bodyguard. It was quiet a surprise for both of them, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

Sitting down with the two women, Gaara felt strangely comfortable. He had never been welcomed at a table before, much less by two laughing females. As they ordered their drinks and food, he found himself thinking he might just enjoy this whole ordeal after all.

Little did he know that, in that moment, Sakura was thinking the exact same thing.

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On the street, hidden behind a tree, a dark figure looked through the window, watching Sakura and two companions have lunch. Scowling, it eyed the muscular man accompanying her.

After a few seconds, it stepped away, joining the flow of pedestrians on the sidewalk, sneering as it walked.

_My little Sakura, how naïve of you. If you wish to escape your fate, you will have to do a lot better than hiring Sabaku no Gaara… a lot better._

An evil laugh was heard among the crowd of people, but before anyone could stop and locate its source, it was gone.

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There you have it! I hope you liked it. I know it was a boring chapter, but sometimes you just can't skip those… grrr. The plot needs to make some sense, damn it! Hehe.

PLEASE REVIEW! Your encouragement is greatly needed…

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: _I was at the beach this weekend, so it took a little longer to get this up, but YEY, it's finally here.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed… in truth, you guys are the ones that keep me going with this crazy whim of mine. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

On with the show!

Disclaimer: Celtic Oak jumps in front of Gaara. "You're mine!" she exclaims. Gaara looks back at her with a bored look, wraps her ankles in sand and effectively flips her, as chibi Narutos dance around her head from the blow. "You wish," he replies, walking arrogantly away.

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**Chapter 4 - Tolerance**

Gaara quietly turned the key and opened the door. Stepping silently inside, he closed it behind him, turning around to take a look at his surroundings.

Sakura had given him a spare key to her apartment the afternoon before, deciding to take care of the matter as soon as possible. Now, the redhead stood at the condo's entrance, taking everything in with his calculating gaze. It was more or less what he expected.

A large living room met the door with huge clear windows facing an amazing view of Konoha. Where he was standing, he saw a small corridor on either side of him, the right one leading into the kitchen and the left one leading to what he assumed were Sakura's rooms. Stepping forward into the living room, he examined the space. All her furniture was elegant, but at the same time practical. The space was decorated with different hues of light blue, giving it a peaceful atmosphere. To the right of the living room, there was a small built in bar with some stools and a small fridge; behind it, a swinging door led into the kitchen. This was definitely the place where Sakura entertained her guests.

To the left, there was another sitting area behind the living room couches with a large, flat screen TV hanging from the wall with a surround system installed. It was the biggest thing Gaara had ever seen; it could have easily been the screen for a small movie theater.

'How typical of these people to waste money on such extravagances,' he thought as he sneered at the TV. However, he couldn't silence a quiet voice in the back of his head telling him to turn on the television. It was probably the only chance he would get to try out something like this.

Looking around, he found no sign of Sakura, which meant she was still asleep. If he turned on the TV, he would definitely wake her up with a single blast of the surround sound. He made his way quietly towards the room area of the condo. Going through a door, he came upon a much smaller sitting area, with some beanies and soft cushions. Another three doors led out of this room; one led to a guest bedroom, with a simple bed and bookcase; another led into a room which Gaara assumed was some sort of study, since it only had a small desk in it. The last door led into the main bedroom.

As the redhead approached this last door, he saw a large bed, adorned with soft and comfy sheets. The curtains were still closed, so very little light managed to filter in. Tangled inside a large cushioned duvet, the owner of the apartment slept soundly, her pink hair in a tangle around her head.

Watching her from the doorway, Gaara could almost smile at the innocent look on her face. If you actually looked at her objectively, without any of the rich girl adornments in her life, you would have to admit she was beautiful. No other person in the country would have that natural hair color and her green eyes had an intensity very few people possessed. Her face was smooth and wore constant smiles, which were nothing less than charming.

But sadly, you couldn't ignore her background, which would definitely show up in her personality. Shaking his head, Gaara had to admit she had, up until now, treated him nicely… he didn't have any reason to complain. But he was secretly waiting for the moment in which she would turn into the 'rich bitch' he knew she was deep down inside.

Closing the room door behind him, he made his way back to the living room. He sat down on the comfortable couch in front of the large television. Having nothing else to do, he reached for the remote control on the small coffee table in front of him. Turning the TV on, he considered himself lucky, since the volume wasn't turned up too loud and his presence managed to remain unnoticed. Flipping channels, Gaara immersed himself in the opportunity of watching Saturday morning cartoons on the largest television on earth.

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Opening her eyes slowly, Sakura tried to focus on her surroundings. Realizing it was Saturday, she closed them again, relaxing in the cozy embrace of her bed. She sighed contentedly, glad she didn't have to think about work today, but then she followed a different line of thought, turning her head to look at her alarm clock.

_10:30 am_. He should be her by now… he said he would be here at 10. Remembering she had given her newly appointed bodyguard a spare key, she decided to stay a little longer in bed, since he would have let himself in by now. Her suspicions where confirmed when she looked at her bedroom door, which was completely closed.

'He must have been in here', she thought, not very comfortable with the thought. Looking down at herself, she was glad she hadn't chosen that night to sleep naked. She was clad in some comfy pajamas: a light green spaghetti strapped shirt with matching pants.

Turning face down on her pillows, Sakura thought about Gaara for a moment. She still wasn't sure what to make of him, even though they had spent all day yesterday together. Like he had said, he was to be her shadow and he effectively stayed true to his word. When they had gone out to lunch, he got out of the car first, inspecting everything, making sure it was safe for her to come out; the same thing happened when they came back from their meal. When it was time for her to go home, he went down to the basement first, making sure everything was alright before she came down herself.

She had to admit he was really professional, and his calculating mind left very little room for error. Sakura had been able to discern that much from his actions. But when it came to his personality, she had to admit she had no clue.

Sighing, she decided to get up. 'I really shouldn't worry about him. I'll get to know him in time… and time is something we will have.'

She had received a call from Shikamaru the night before, letting her know that the forensic department had not been able to process her evidence yet, and would probably take until the end of the following week. He would call her as soon as he heard something. Not very happy with the news, Sakura knew it only invited another attack from her assailant. But she didn't even want to think about that…

Deciding she was presentable, and because she didn't want to take a shower yet, she made her way out into the living room. As she neared, she heard the noise of her TV. Knowing Gaara was already in her apartment, she wasn't surprised.

"Good morning", she said cheerfully, as she glanced at the redhead.

He turned to her, nodding his head. "Good morning. I thought you would actually sleep a lot more."

"No, my body's kind of used to getting up early, so it sort of wakes by itself," she replied, as she plopped down on the couch next to him. "What are you watching?"

"Some cartoons," he replied with an uninterested tone.

"Cartoons?" she asked, completely surprised. Who would ever think that this shidokan world champion with frost in his gaze would soften enough to enjoy some cartoons?

"Yes," he answered, somewhat annoyed. "What's wrong with watching cartoons?"

"No, nothing," Sakura said controlling her giggles. "Cartoons are great. It's just that, somehow, I just wouldn't classify you as a cartoon kind of person."

"You're classifying me?" he asked, his annoyance now evident. Trust a rich girl to arrange the world into categories.

"No, no, I didn't mean it that way," Sakura tried to apologize. The last thing she wanted was for him to be angry at her. He was difficult enough to deal with already without him being irritated. "What I was trying to say was that you don't look like the type of person who would enjoy cartoons… like some people just aren't the type of people who enjoy, I don't know, scary movies …"

She looked at him hopefully, but his anger wasn't leaving his eyes. Thinking quickly for a way to explain herself, she finally came up with something.

"Like Naruto. He would be a typical cartoon person. He's basically a living cartoon himself! I wouldn't be surprised if I found him watching those."

Gaara's gaze softened a little with the mention of his friend's name. "I think I know what you mean," he said. "But I still think you shouldn't classify people, especially when you know very little about them."

With that, he turned back to the TV, leaving a very embarrassed Sakura looking at the floor. Trust her to start the day with her foot in her mouth!

A very uncomfortable silence followed, as Sakura decided she preferred not to talk than to say something awkward. To her relief, Gaara initiated their next dialogue.

"How much did this thing actually cost you?" he asked, gesturing at her flat screen. "Don't you think it's a bit extravagant?" he finished, in a venomous tone. It was clear he was still upset about her previous comment.

"I don't know how much it cost," she said honestly. "It was a Christmas present from one of my business partners. His business was going so well after our deals, that he decided he wanted to thank me. I was actually taken aback by the present and wasn't going to accept it, but he insisted. So, I had to make some space for this thing on my living room wall." She finished, eyeing the TV skeptically.

Gaara wasn't sure he believed what she was saying, but as he looked at her, Sakura's expression did not betray any signs of her trying to hide something. She was telling the truth. Not knowing why, this bit of information made Gaara feel more comfortable around her, even though he wouldn't admit it even to himself.

Feeling the tension in the air lessen somewhat, Sakura let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. With just his facial expression and the look in his eyes, Gaara could make the atmosphere between them completely tense or relaxed without saying a word. The pink haired girl was amazed at this ability, and wondered what kind of life her bodyguard had led for him to learn such a trait.

"How about some breakfast?" she asked cheerily.

Gaara gazed at her with an indifferent look in his eyes. "I had some cereal before I came here."

"Cereal?" Sakura asked. "That's not a proper weekend breakfast!" With that, she lifted herself up from the couch with a laugh.

"I'll teach you what a proper breakfast is!" she was saying, as she made her way to the kitchen. "Either way, you look like you could empty a small restaurant…" She finished as she disappeared behind the kitchen door.

Gaara was about to retort that he was this size due to exercise and not due to pigging out, but Sakura had already gone out of sight. Strangely enough, he found himself slightly smiling, glad she was able to relax enough in his presence to joke around. He knew he wasn't an approachable person and many people acted like he was a dangerous animal whenever he was near. Admitting this was mostly his fault, he couldn't ask any more from them and most of the time, it didn't matter. Sakura, however, had managed to at least face her fear enough to talk to him normally despite his hostile behavior towards her.

Knowing he should make the effort in returning her friendliness to some degree, the redhead made his way to the kitchen. He found Sakura kneeling in front of a very large refrigerator, taking things out.

"You're cooking?" he asked incredulous.

The pink haired girl in pajamas turned with a murderous look on her face. "Of course I'm cooking. You thought I was useless?" she asked, a hint of humor in her voice.

"I thought you would have a maid for that," Gaara replied coldly.

"I'm not that type of person. I like to be self-sufficient," Sakura said, a glint in her eyes. "I think you shouldn't classify people, especially when you know very little about them."

Gaara froze for a moment, not expecting his words to be thrown back at him. Sakura thought he would storm off in anger, but to her amazement, she heard a soft chuckle coming from his direction.

"Point taken," he said as he came to kneel next to her. "Would you like some help then?"

"You don't look like the type who would enjoy being in the kitchen," Sakura tried to say seriously, but failed miserably as she couldn't suppress her laughter as she finished the sentence.

Gaara half smiled, not sure of how to behave around a laughing female. He knew precisely how to act when confronted with violent attackers or bullying fighters, but he was at a complete loss with this new situation.

Deciding not to say anything, he grabbed a packet of eggs which were lying on the floor and placed them on the kitchen counter. "What were you planning on making?"

"Well, I was trying to choose between pancakes and eggs with bacon, but I couldn't make up my mind… so I decided to make both!" a smiling Sakura answered.

"And you're going to eat all that?" the redhead asked.

"No, you're going to help me," she replied as she leaned into the fridge once more.

"I told you I already ate breakfast," he said, annoyingly.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you couldn't eat some more! You only ate cereal."

Once he thought about it, Gaara's stomach _was_ ready for another meal. "Fine. I'll make the eggs, you make the pancakes," he said in a commanding voice.

"Yes sir!" Sakura replied.

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"That was great!" Sakura exclaimed, sitting back on her chair. They were sitting at the kitchen table, empty plates before them. Much to the pink haired girl's surprise, Gaara was a great cook. His bacon and eggs tasted far better than her pancakes.

"Where did you learn to cook?" she asked curiously.

Gaara looked at her for a moment, pondering if he should answer. "I took turns with the cooking with my brother and sister," he finally said.

"Really?" Sakura said amazed. "Your mother must've been real happy. She probably never had to cook!"

A very uncomfortable silence followed, with which Sakura realized she had said something extremely wrong. Suddenly remembering what Naruto had vaguely mentioned about Gaara's troubled childhood, she mentally berated herself for being so stupid and careless.

Gaara was looking at the floor and did not lift his face when he eventually spoke. "I never knew my mother. She died giving birth to me." The cold tone in his voice made Sakura's skin crawl.

Not knowing what to do, the pink haired girl stared at the empty plate in front of her. She would have given anything for the floor to open up and swallow her.

"I'm so-" she started to say, but the phone suddenly rang, saving her from the uncomfortable situation she had managed to get herself into.

"Moshi moshi," she said, faking her cheerfulness. "Naruto? Good Morning!"

As she talked to the blond, she didn't fail to notice that Gaara hadn't moved from his spot. He was still staring at the floor, oblivious to everything else.

Wanting to make up for her mistake, she thought desperately for a solution. Ironically enough, she found the answer in the babbling voice which was speaking to her on the other end of the phone line.

"Hey Naruto," she interrupted, not paying attention to what he was talking about. "Wanna do something today?"

"Sure!" came his enthusiactic reply, apparently glad he was going to be able to spend the day with both his friends at the same time.

Upon hearing this part of the conversation, Gaara stood morosely from the table. As he passed near Sakura, he didn't look at her, but the look on his face was so bitter, it made the pink haired girl shiver. He disappeared round the door, undoubtedly making his way to the TV again.

As she listened to Naruto shout suggestions for this afternoon's plan, Sakura was silently glad she wouldn't have to spend the day alone in her bodyguard's company.

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YYESSSS!" Naruto exclaimed, swinging his putter in the air. He then proceeded to due a little victory dance while Sakura rolled her eyes and Hinata giggled.

The foursome stood near the 6th hole at one of Konoha's mini-golf parks. Naruto had enthusiastically suggested they come here, since it had been some time since he'd played. Sakura, more than happy to comply as long as it didn't mean spending the afternoon solely with Gaara, agreed immediately, asking Hinata to join them as well.

As she got ready for her turn, she glanced at the redhead out of the corner of her eye. He had been extremely quiet since their conversation in the kitchen that morning and Sakura couldn't blame him. It wasn't nice to be reminded of one's painful past. He hadn't uttered a word ever since, a dark cloud hovering over his already cold features. It had lessened somewhat when they had met up with Naruto, but it was still perceptible. Regardless of this fact, the blond had managed to convince his shidokan team mate to play some mini-golf, acting as if the menace behind Gaara's eyes wasn't there… proof enough that he was used to dealing with such moods.

Turning back to her game, Sakura breathed in deeply. She positioned herself correctly and swung. The golf ball rolled up a narrow channel, up the small castle tower, passed beneath the castle gates and fell in the hole on the other side.

"Alright!" she exclaimed gleefully, throwing her arms in the air. She turned round, smiling at her friends, but was cut short when she glanced at her bodyguard, who was standing some feet apart from them. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and his eyes were glaring intently at her.

Turning away uncomfortably, she stepped back, letting Hinata take her turn. Sure enough, the black haired girl succeeded in her swing, blushing brightly when Naruto congratulated her. Now it was Gaara's turn.

Reluctantly, the red head approached, putter in hand. As he positioned himself for his swing, Naruto spoke teasingly.

"Oi, Sakura, look closely and you'll see how he'll miss this one. His muscles will just get in his way."

The pink haired girl stared at him, thinking he had gone mad. How could he even think of joking around with Gaara at a moment like this? The man was about to explode with rage.

Gaara breathed deeply, ignoring the blond.

But Naruto smiled evilly and continued relentlessly. "You see, this hole requires precision and a bit of planning, but Mr. Muscles here won't be able to do it. He just doesn't have enough brain power…"

Just as he uttered the last word, a putter flew directly at Naruto's head. Managing to dodge it at the last moment, he wasn't fast enough to evade Gaara's punch as he lounged himself at the blond.

Hinata stepped away with a shriek, while Sakura stared at them in utter shock.

As Naruto recovered from the punch, he laughed wickedly, easily evading another swing directed at his face. "What's wrong Sabaku no Gaara? Can't take a little teasing or are you so upset because you know that what I said is true?"

Growling in answer, Gaara didn't stop his attack. Even though some of his hits connected, Naruto managed to block most of them. They kept it up for a couple of minutes, until Gaara realized it was useless to continue against the laughing Naruto.

Breathing quickly, the redhead glared at his friend for an instant, but then smiled reluctantly. He'd suddenly realized his bad mood had disappeared after the punches he'd thrown.

"I've told you a thousand times, your brooding only worsens your fighting skills," Naruto said in a friendly tone. "But it looks like you'll never learn."

"You won't be so lucky next time," the redhead replied with a smirk, as he picked up his putter and returned to their golf game.

Sakura stared in utter shock at them, not sure of what had just happened. Naruto had teased a dangerously angry Gaara, who had attacked in retaliation. They then exchanged some quick punches, a combat from which Naruto emerged the victor… and now Gaara was smiling? Shaking her head in bewilderment, she decided not to think too much about it, but made a mental note to ask Naruto about the incident later.

Surprisingly enough, Gaara made the shot in one swing without thinking much about it. He smiled smugly at Naruto, as he turned around triumphantly.

"Baka, don't let it get to your head!" Naruto exclaimed, as he made his way to the next hole. Hinata followed quickly after, still a bit unnerved about what had just happened.

Sakura found herself unexpectedly standing alone with Gaara. Deciding to face her fear once and for all, she lifted her face to his eyes, offering him a friendly smile. He looked back at her, the glare in his eyes gone, but didn't smile back. Instead, he got out of the way and nodded politely for her to go ahead. Knowing this was as close to an apology she would ever receive from him, she accepted and walked towards her friends.

Sensing him falling into step right behind her, Sakura failed to see the strange expression on his face as he looked at her walking back.

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"What was _that_ all about?" Sakura asked, as she and Naruto stood at the mini-golf's food stand ordering their meal. Gaara sat with Hinata some distance away, their food already on the table.

"What was _what_ all about?" Naruto replied, confused.

"The fight you just had with Gaara, baka!" she answered exasperated.

"Oh," he said sheepishly. "Nah, that wasn't a fight. We just exchanged some friendly punches."

"Friendly punches?" Sakura said in a harsh whisper. "It looked like he was about to kill you!"

Naruto only laughed, much to Sakura's irritation. "You definitely haven't seen him angry then," he said, ordering some fries with his hotdog.

Sakura looked momentarily at her bodyguard, who was now eating contently. It appeared he was having some sort of conversation with Hinata, for the black haired girl was talking as he ate. He looked like any normal person enjoying a meal, but Sakura knew he was different. There was just too much intensity emanating from him.

"Why? How is he when he's angry?" she asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Well, if you must know, he's been known to reduce a man to a pulp with his bare hands."

"_WHAT?_" Sakura replied harshly, loud enough for Gaara to look up from his food and look around in her direction, making sure everything was alright.

Ignoring his look, she turned towards Naruto once more. "You've got to be kidding me," she said in a harsh whisper.

"He wasn't the king of bare knuckled fighting during his early teenage years for nothing," he said under his breath.

"Bare knuckled fighting?" Sakura said, complete shock covering her face. "But that's illegal!"

"I know," Naruto said, breathing out loudly. "But from where he's from, he didn't have much choice. You don't need to worry, though. He's perfectly in control now. Sometimes he just needs to vent some frustration, and that was precisely what I did just now. I didn't want him brooding all day, like he tends to do." And with that, he picked up his food tray and moved towards their table.

Grabbing on to the stall's counter, Sakura tried to steady herself. Konoha's bare knuckled fights were notorious for their violence and had been banned long ago. Now, it was vaguely known that they were still held at very secret locations by illegal gamblers and mafia, but this only increased the brutality of the fighting. Most of the participants ended up with disabling injuries which would mark them for life… that is, if they managed to survive.

Sakura looked towards Gaara, who was making room for Naruto at the table. Her perception of him was slowly changing as she became aware of the reasons behind his behavior. Having been exposed to extreme violence really early in your life would do that to you. If you actually thought about it, he was surprisingly sane after all the experiences he must have gone through.

Taking her tray in hand, she made her way to the table. She was determined not to act differently around him just because she had found out about some of his past. On the contrary, she was quickly realizing that now, she would be able to understand him a little better.

Smiling at him as she sat down, she was more than surprised when she found him half-smiling in return.

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The late Sunday afternoon sun shone down through the trees as Sakura and Gaara strolled lazily through the park. Not wanting to stay home with such fine weather, the pink haired girl had dragged her bodyguard out of her apartment an hour before.

They shared a comfortable silence, both of them slowly getting used to each other's presence. Sakura was now aware that Gaara's cold looks weren't personally directed at her… they were just part of his personality. And Gaara was now aware that Sakura's head was filled with much more than just her money. Hence, they genuinely enjoyed their walk through the trees and grass.

"I just love this time of day," Sakura said conversationally.

Gaara looked up at the sky, examining the few clouds which flew across it. "Yes, it is nice," he said in a detached tone.

Getting used to his cold manner, Sakura wasn't insulted by his lack of interest. It truth it was quite the opposite, she was starting to find some humor behind his monotone responses.

Reaching the edge of the park, they came upon a quiet street where a cozy coffee shop stood in the corner. With her love for caffeine kicking in, Sakura turned towards Gaara, a mischievous look in her eyes.

"How about we get a large cup of -" she started to say, but was immediately cut off by Gaara.

"Sakura, watch out!" he shouted, as he pushed her down to the ground.

In the moment she hit the grass, Sakura heard it… she heard the rolling sound of a speeding motorcycle coming closer.

Looking towards the approaching noise, she saw Gaara standing defiantly on the sidewalk, directly in front of the speeding vehicle.

The driver sped directly at him, intent on running him over. The redhead was quick on his feet, however, and when the motorcycle was almost on top of him, he moved to the side, throwing a vicious kick at the driver, who landed flat on his back on the pavement.

Gaara approached carefully, but the fallen man got back on his feet with lighting quick reflexes. Scowling, the redhead assumed a shidokan offensive stance, ready to plunge into his attack.

His surprise was complete however when the man in front of him chuckled mirthlessly, and assumed the exact same stance.

* * *

Alright! Gaara in action! Haha, I just knew I had to end this chapter with this little cliffhanger as soon as I thought about it. Don't worry, I'll get the next part up ASAP. 

PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's note_HAHA, I'm on a roll here! I told you I'd get this up soon (eyes So-Kun's approaching wakisashi warily). I took a couple of days off from work (a well deserved rest, I might add!) so I sat down with an inexplicable desire to write and write and write. So, I'm afraid this chapter came out a _lot_ longer than the previous ones. I apologize beforehand if it takes a while to read, but I'm pretty sure you'll like it. I had a great time writing this one! Especially the ending… hehe.

Thanks for all your reviews! I'm sorry for the previous cliff hanger, but it was just too tempting! (giggles evilly).

This one goes out to all my reviewers! THANKS!

* * *

**Chapter 5 ****– Fighting emotions**

Knowing only a select few would be familiar with the fighting stance he was assuming, Gaara decided not to attack immediately. He surveyed his opponent carefully, taking in every detail, looking for anything which might prove to his advantage.

The man in front was almost about his height, maybe just a little shorter. A well built frame could be discerned underneath the layers of black clothing he was wearing, just as Sakura had described her previous attacker. An equally black motorcycle helmet adorned his head, preventing anyone from seeing his face, Taking this into consideration, it would be difficult for him to move since shidokan fighting required rapid and precise movements, which would only be hampered by the heavy helmet.

Without any warning, Gaara stepped in, aiming a hit at the man's torso. Predictably enough, he dodged, retaliating with a kick of his own. Gaara managed to block it, stopping the momentum of his leg with his forearm. Trying out a skillful combination of punches and kicks, the redhead kept coming, forcing his opponent into a defensive stance.

They danced around each other for a while, each trying to get through the other's defense. As he tried different techniques, Gaara was sure he recognized the man's fighting style, but in the heat of the moment, he wasn't sure where he'd seen it before. Whirling around, as one of them sent a kick, the other one dodged; as one threw a calculated punch, the other one blocked.

Attacks were effectively stopped on both sides and not one of them landed a successful blow. After these exchanges, the shidokan champion confirmed he wasn't dealing with an amateur and finally decided to get serious.

Increasing the speed of his attacks, his punches and kicks came in a blur, forcing his opponent back towards the edge of the park. Not only did his speed increase, but the force of his blows became greater still, a deadly combination which had earner him his notorious nickname. The man in black was hard pressed to keep up and Gaara was sure he heard a frustrated growl coming from behind the helmet.

Sitting on the grass, Sakura could do nothing but stare. Both combatants where going so fast, she could barely keep up with the movement. She could tell, however, that Gaara had the upper hand, since he was completely on the offense and the best his opponent could do was block his incoming blows. Gaara didn't seem to have any openings.

The tables turned, however, as a quick kick from the black driver managed to connect between one of Gaara's swings. It hit him square on his ribs, sending a jolt of pain up his body. Ignoring it, the redhead grabbed the man's leg, twisting it round. The man in black snarled in pain, but did not stop his attack. With one of Gaara's hands grabbing on to his leg, he swung a punch towards the redhead's face, connecting directly with his nose.

Gaara stumbled backwards, blood spluttering his face. The black driver didn't give him a chance to recover, landing a flying kick on his chest. Stumbling backwards, the redhead landed into a tree, his neck snapping forward from the blow. His eyes blurred for a moment, but then recovered. Bringing his hands to his face, he felt his warm blood running freely. As he looked at his bloody hands, something in his mind clicked, sudden memories of a blood-spattered fighting ring coming into his consciousness unbidden. As he looked up at his opponent and realized he was heading in Sakura's direction, his eye sight went completely red.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" he yelled, making the man in black stop in his tracks and Sakura tremble in fear with the menace in his voice.

Sakura's attacker turned towards the fallen Gaara, but suddenly realized the redhead wasn't there anymore. In an incredible flash of speed, he was standing in front of the black driver, swinging directly at him. Gaara's fist connected directly with the side of his face, but as the man fell backwards towards the ground, the redhead sent a vicious kick directly at his side. The gruesome crack of breaking bones filled the air. As the man hit the ground, he hugged his ribs with his arm, wringing in pain.

"_That's_ how you throw a kick," he growled, approaching him menacingly, a deadly look in his eyes.

'Oh my God, he's going to kill him!' Sakura thought desperately. 'He's going to kill him with his bare hands! I can't let him do that!"

"Wait, Gaara!" she screamed as she lifted herself from the grass. "Wait!"

But the redhead seemed not to hear her. He was now standing beside the fallen man, readying his finishing blow.

"GAARA STOP! PLEASE!" Sakura yelled at the top of her lungs, a pleading look in her green eyes.

Somehow, the words managed to pierce through Gaara's blood rage. He suddenly stopped and slowly turned towards the yelling female. Looking intently at her, he knew she wanted him to stop; _why_ she wanted him to stop was beyond his present comprehension, but as he looked into her eyes he saw he was hurting her. In that fraction of a second, a small part of him, a tiny voice which rarely surfaced, let him know without a doubt, that the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

His eyes became clear once more and as he became aware of his surroundings, he lowered his raised fists. His face, however, was still turned towards Sakura, as green held green in a locked stare.

Sakura couldn't breath, afraid that any movement might break the moment, might make him turn back towards his victim. Looking at his face, blood dripping over his mouth and smeared over his cheek, she saw the change in his eyes. She saw him change from a frenzied killer to a lost and confused boy. Somehow, not knowing exactly why, she clearly saw a younger version of him, standing alone, covered with blood in the middle of a fighting ring, with the same confused look in his eyes as he was met by the vulgar cheers of a large crowd.

The moment was broken when the man at Gaara's feet suddenly sprang to his feet. Running at an amazing speed for an injured man, he headed towards his motorcycle, the purpose of his attack completely forgotten. Mounting his bike, he quickly sped away, leaving Sakura and Gaara standing among a small crowd which was starting to form.

Ignoring the murmurs, the pink haired girl hastily made her way over to her bodyguard, the fleeing attacker momentarily forgotten.

"Are you alright?" she asked with genuine worry. Taking a small handkerchief out of purse, she lifted it up to whip his face.

Gaara pushed her hand away harshly. "Why did you stop me?" he asked in a menacing tone. "I had him on the ground, he was mine."

Taken aback by his reaction, Sakura blinked in confusion. Her feet wanted to step back from him, but she stubbornly stood her ground. "You were going to kill him," she answered worriedly. "Of course I was going to stop you."

Eyes narrowing into slits, Gaara's tone was bitter when he next spoke. "He was after you, he wanted to kill you himself. If you don't kill him first, he'll definitely kill you. Eye for an eye. It's simple."

Looking down at the ground, a wave of sadness rippled through Sakura, adrenaline suddenly leaving her. She understood his logic, but it was something she found unacceptable. No matter what people did to hurt you, you should never lower yourself to their level, because if you did so, you would end up being the same as them. Experience had taught her that. Openly admitting she didn't know why someone was trying to kill her, it had never crossed her mind to retaliate in kind. She just wasn't that type of person.

"I would never want to kill anyone, even if they were after my life," she answered, turning teary eyes towards him. "Knowing what it's like to have your life threatened, I would never wish death upon anyone else. So, the last thing I want is for you to kill someone on my behalf."

Gaara's eyes widened in surprise as he took in her words. Here was this girl who's life was being endangered by a perverse individual; she had experienced the worst kind of fear because of his sick whims. But, incredibly enough, she didn't want to physically hurt him, didn't want him dead. She definitely wanted him punished, but wasn't inclined to take revenge. This was a logic Gaara had never come across.

"You're too nice," he said, shaking his head. "The world just doesn't work that way."

She smiled wearily. "I wanted someone dead once. Someone who caused me a great deal of pain. I wished for his death _every_ single day. But after the whole ordeal, I realized that wishing bad things to happen to that person didn't make me feel better. I realized I had to rise above such petty feelings and soar to a place where the pain and his threats couldn't reach me. It was only when I achieved this that I was finally free. It is the hardest thing I have done in my life." A sole tear ran down her cheek, but the sadness in her eyes turned into steel as she finished.

Remembering the countless times he had to face his drunk and drugged father, the many times he had to go to sleep with his father screaming at his older sister, the countless times he returned home late at night after a fight just to bring food home for his siblings… Gaara finally understood what she was saying. If you let the pain consume you, you were done for. You had to fight it and conquer it, rising to a place where it couldn't touch you.

In that precise moment, his perception of this little pink rich girl changed completely. He could relate to her experience and understand where she had been. And maybe, just maybe, she could understand and relate to what he had lived through.

Green held green again as they found unexpected solace in each other.

A nearby shuffling made their eyes break apart as they both turned to see a man approaching them.

"Are you alright? What happened?" he asked with a concerned look. From the apron he was wearing, he was probably a waiter at the nearby coffee shop.

"We should go," Gaara whispered for only Sakura to hear. She couldn't have agreed more.

Turning hastily away, both of them started walking hurriedly in the direction of Sakura's apartment. The waiter called behind them, but he was effectively ignored.

As their walk turned into a slow run, Gaara took Sakura's hand as he led the way. A small alarm went off in her head, realizing his hand was partially covered in blood, but it was short lived. Somehow, after what had just happened, Sakura couldn't care less. In response to her superficial thought, the pink haired girl squeezed his hand tighter as they made their way through the park.

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Gaara gritted his teeth in pain as Sakura cleaned his face and nose. She applied some ointment on his bruise, which produced an intense sting. Having experiencing worse pain than this, Gaara stayed completely still, but he still had to admit it was very uncomfortable.

They were sitting in Sakura's living room couch, her first aid kit open on the small table in front of them. Having a medical degree up her sleeve, Sakura's kit was more complete than most and had so many medicine bottles Gaara wasn't sure how they actually fit into the small box.

"That should do it," she said, putting away the ointment. "You're lucky it wasn't broken or else we would've had a greater mess on our hands." She carefully touched his nose once more, examining it.

Gaara was glued in place, not used to these careful ministrations. In his life, he'd only been to the doctor a couple of times, both times to mend broken extremities. He'd always cured his wounds by himself, applying iodine directly on them once he got home. If he needed any stitches, Kankurou or Temari were always there to help him. It was a crude and painful way to do it, but it worked. In the illegal fighting world, you just didn't walk into a hospital saying you'd been injured in a bare knuckled fighting match.

"I'm going to place a special bandage on it," Sakura was saying as she searched in her first aid kit. "Its medicine will help with the swelling and at the same time it will apply some heat on it so the pain will lessen."

"Why are you doing this?" Gaara asked suddenly, his first words since they had arrived at her apartment.

The question caught Sakura completely off guard. When had she ever needed a reason to cure people? The question was completely silly.

But looking into his eyes, she found he was serious. Trying to find the meaning beyond his words, she quickly but painfully realized he probably had never been cared for in his whole life.

"Well, for starters, you saved my life," she said gratefully as she removed the bandage from its wrapper. "So the least I can do is to tend to the wounds you received on my account. Also, I'm a _doctor_. I'm not going to let a wounded man just walk around my apartment without doing anything, am I?" she finished with a smile.

He looked at her for a moment, a strange look in his eyes. Apparently, he was satisfied with her answer, for when she moved to apply the bandage, he didn't stop her. His eyes didn't leave her face as she worked however, making her start to feel a little bit nervous.

Gaara had been wearing a jacket when he fought her attacker, which had been smeared with blood. Having taken the jacket off, he was now wearing the black tank top he'd originally had underneath. As Sakura leaned into him, she was suddenly aware of the muscles adorning his shoulders, muscles which continued pleasantly down his arms. Breathing deeply, she concentrated on the task at hand, but the look in his eyes wasn't helping. She couldn't clearly make out what they were expressing… it was something very different from what they usually conveyed… could it possibly be tenderness?

Struck by the silliness of such a thought, Sakura's nervousness disappeared and she managed to place the bandage on Gaara's nose without further ado. How could she think of something so stupid? This was her bodyguard she was talking about; a cold and calculating professional. He would never express such feelings towards an employer. As she started to pack the contents of her kit, she tried to ignore the disappointment she felt at the thought.

But as she turned away, Gaara grabbed her arm gently. "Thank you," he said quietly, as she turned to face him once more. As their eyes locked together, Sakura wasn't sure what to think. There it was again, that strange look in his eyes.

But the moment was once again broken by a loud knock on her door.

"Sakura! Open the door!" Naruto yelled.

She'd completely forgotten she'd called her friend after the attack. Getting up quickly, she went to let him in.

Gaara shook his head forcefully as she walked away, mentally berating himself. What the _hell_ was he doing? This was his hirer, the person who needed his protection and skills. He needed to act professionally towards her or else he would place her life in danger. That was what he got paid to do. But what was this feeling he was experiencing? Shaking his head once more, he decided he needed to get a grip on himself.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked as he burst through the barely open door.

"Yes, I'm fine," Sakura smiled. "But it's all thanks to Gaara."

"Really? Where is he?" the blond asked as he walked into the living room. He stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the sight of his friend sitting on the couch, a bandage on his nose and a first aid kit on the table in front.

"You're being pampered?" he yelled incredulous. After a short moment, he started to laugh, pointing directly at the bandaged red head. "You _have_ gone soft!"

"I'll show you soft," Gaara threatened as he quickly stood up.

"Stop it, both of you!" Sakura exclaimed, hands on her hips. "What's wrong with me taking care of him, Naruto?"

He wasn't laughing anymore, but a smirk still adorned his face. "Well, a bleeding nose isn't the worst he's ever suffered. We've all taken worse beatings than that."

"Not treating wounds is stupid," Sakura said, her temper evidently rising. "If you leave a wound untreated, it can infect and become a lot worse. And if a bleeding nose isn't a serious enough wound for you, it's more than what I've seen _you_ take for _me!_" she finished, effectively fuming.

Gaara stared at her unbelievingly. She was standing up for him?

"Yare, yare, Sakura," a deflated Naruto said, shifting from foot to foot. "I was only joking. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

"Good!" she exclaimed, as she started putting her medicines away once more.

Breathing out loudly, Naruto approached her, plopping down on a nearby couch. "So, did you give the guy a proper beating?" he asked, turning towards Gaara.

The redhead sat back down on his couch. "Yes, but barely."

The blond lifted his eyebrows, his question clearly showing on his face.

"The man I fought was a skilled shidokan fighter… skilled enough to hold his ground against me."

Blue eyes were now staring unbelievably at Gaara. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No, I'm afraid I'm not," was the redhead's reply, as he leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes. "But I'm sure I've seen his fighting style before… I just can't remember _where._"

"Sound?" Naruto asked, deadly serious.

With his eyes closed, Gaara was oblivious to the angry look Sakura threw at the blond. Their eyes locked in a battle of wills, waiting for her bodyguard's answer.

"No, it wasn't Sound," he finally said, opening his eyes and looking at Naruto. Sakura's gaze left the blond's face, as she pretended to be busy organizing her medicines. "Some influence of Sound's techniques may have marked his fighting, but it wasn't his predominant style."

"But you do say you detected some of Sound's style," Naruto insisted. "Maybe mixed with something else but it was definitely-"

"Stop it Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed as she agitatedly got up from the couch. "I've told you a thousand times, it _wasn't_ Sasuke. I would have recognized him immediately." She stepped up towards the window, looking at the lights of Konoha's quiet night.

'Sasuke? Who's Sasuke?' Gaara asked himself, staring at Sakura's back. A hint of concern filtered through his eyes.

"But this guy's attacked you twice…" Naruto began.

"I said NO!" Sakura yelled, turning back towards him. The blond looked at the floor, seemingly controlling his temper at his friend's stubbornness.

"It _wasn't_ Sasuke, alright? I would have recognized his fighting style, I've seen it countless times to be able to do so. Besides, the man who attacked me today wasn't the same person who attacked me before," she finished quickly.

Her statement was met by complete silence.

"What?" Naruto exclaimed.

Sighing, the pink haired girl returned to the couch, sitting down besides Gaara. "It wasn't the same person. The one who stampeded me in the parking lot was a lot slimmer and a lot shorter. The man who attacked us today was taller and bulkier. They are two completely different people."

Naruto looked at her, disbelief in his gaze. "You mean to tell me that there's more than one of these psycho's out there?"

"I'm afraid so," Sakura said, pulling her legs up on the couch, her forehead resting on her knees.

Gaara looked at her worriedly as he digested this new information. This would definitely make his job harder and he would have to be more careful. If this was a case of organized crime, there were would probably be more than two assailants, and if all of them were experienced fighters, he would be hard pressed to defend Sakura if they decided to attack together. Not wanting to worry her further, he kept his thoughts to himself. She looked completely vulnerable at the moment, but he suppressed a sudden urge to offer her comfort.

Naruto must have been affected by her vulnerability as well, since he got up from his couch and sat beside her, giving her an affectionate hug.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," the endearment in his voice was evident. "We'll catch these bastards. Everything will be alright. We won't let anyone hurt you."

Without saying anything, the pink haired girl leaned into her friend, extremely grateful for the reassurance he offered.

Naruto looked directly at Gaara, who lifted his gaze from the girl. Exchanging a meaningful stare, they made a silent pack then and there, knowing each of them would risk their life willingly, in order to protect the precious blossom sitting between them.

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Some weeks passed with no further attacks. It appeared as if Gaara's prowess had been successful in keeping Sakura's attackers at bay… for the moment at least. Shikamaru had been informed about the attack and the probability of multiple assailants. He was more than openly glad Sakura had followed his advice and had hired a personal bodyguard. He said her evidence was now in process and it appeared some promising clues had been found. Konoha's police department would act accordingly and would let her know as soon as they found something tangible. From what they had found in her death threats, there were a few households and establishments they would be searching.

As the pink haired manager of HPhar sat lazily in her chair sipping a cup of coffee, she looked out the window at the afternoon clouds. It had been raining all day, but the sky had finally relented around an hour ago, leaving puddles and dripping leaves everywhere.

Her gaze shifted from the window, just to fall upon the resting figure in her office sitting area. She gave a small smile.

Gaara was slumped backwards in the ample couch, head resting against the top of the sofa. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow. To any stranger, it would have appeared as if he was slumbering peacefully, but Sakura knew better. Her bodyguard always managed to keep his body alert, even if he was dozing off. If there were any swift change in his surroundings or if anyone were to get too close, he would jump into alertness immediately, ready for action in a split second.

Sakura creased her eyebrows in concern as she looked him over. He'd been dozing off a lot lately, especially when she was working. Concentrating on the tasks at hand, Sakura usually left him to his own means most of the day, only to lift her head from her computer some hours later to find him half asleep on the nearest couch.

It was evident he wasn't getting enough sleep at night. The black marks around his eyes were darker still and in the mornings, he usually greeted her with some sort of energy drink in his hand. She was probably making a big deal out of it, but they hadn't grown closer there last few days for nothing.

As she thought about their growing friendship, the pink haired girl felt a rush of emotion come upon her. Somehow, they had gotten through their first few rough encounters unscathed, each one now falling into step with the routine they both set, comfortable with each other's presence… more than comfortable in fact, if you thought about it.

Cheeks slightly blushing at a memory of a few days ago, Sakura couldn't help but smile widely. They'd arrived from work and she had offered to cook dinner. They ate as they watched TV and after the meal, Sakura had effectively dozed off on the couch, accidentally leaning into Gaara and using his shoulder as a pillow. Strangely enough, he didn't seem to mind and actually shifted so she would be more comfortable. She didn't know how long she stayed like that, all she knew was she felt completely at ease. Vaguely registering what was going on, her sleepy mind became aware that she was being carried by strong arms into her bedroom. She was laid gently on her bed and was tenderly tucked in.

Sighing contently, Sakura shifted her chair to face the large office window once more. She really didn't know where all this was going, but it seemed she didn't have the force to stop it… nor did she want to. Gaara's sudden gentleness towards her, his helpful manner, the strange glances he threw at her and if she caught him staring, he would divert his gaze immediately as if ashamed of being caught; all these were adding up in an inevitable equation in Sakura's mind, and the result was starting to scare her. But she had to admit there was a thrill to this kind of fear.

She also had to admit that the situation wasn't one sided at all… she had been showing some unmistakable signs as well. Her asking him to stay over for dinner more often than not, her taking some afternoons off so they could go out and do something fun, her asking Naruto about Gaara's suddenly tired demeanor. She told herself it was because of their growing friendship and it was inevitable for them to become friends since they spent most of their time together. _Friends_, nothing more.

_Stop lying to yourself_, Inner Sakura interrupted. _You can't ignore the way he looks at you or the way you look at him… you're doing it right now! You're practically oogling at him as he sits on that couch…_

Shaking her head roughly, Sakura successfully silenced her inner voice. It did no good to dwell on such thoughts. Remembering the conversation she had with Naruto in the morning, she lifted herself from her desk and made her way to the sitting area.

Worriedly, she had inquired about Gaara's condition and now, Sakura knew the reason behind the redhead's baggy eyes. Naruto had let her know that a large shidokan tournament was coming up and all members of Konoha's Shidokan's elite class were going to participate. The rest of the members were able to train during normal daytime hours, but since Gaara had a full time job with Sakura, he was forced to train at night. After he left her at home, which would sometimes be as late as 10pm, he would leave for the dojo and train almost until 3am, having to meet Sakura at 7:30 the next morning. He'd started his intense training a little more than a week ago, but his over burdening schedule was taking its toll. He was now sleeping on the job.

Naruto was angry when Sakura told him about Gaara's naps and was going to berate the redhead for leaving his friend unprotected. Sakura managed to calm him down and assured him there was no problem, since he usually dozed off in her office while she was working and the chances of her getting attacked at work were slim. This didn't stop her worries about her bodyguard's health however, but now that she knew the reasons behind the problem, it meant she could come up with a solution. She wasn't the smartest kid in the class throughout her school years for nothing.

"Gaara," she said softly, as she approached his resting form.

Knowing it was her, he opened his jade eyes slowly, giving her his attention.

"I think I'm going to take the rest of the afternoon off and I also wanted to let you know that I'm going to be taking some days off from work as well."

A small look of alarm crossed his eyes, but it was swiftly gone.

Following his line of thought wasn't hard. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I just feel like staying home for a few of days. We're going to stay right here in Konoha."

He nodded his head, silently asking her to continue.

"We can go home right now, you can drop me off and you can have the rest of the day to yourself. Tomorrow's Tuesday, your day off, and I expect you to get some rest," she said, softly berating him. "Don't think I haven't noticed how tired you've been lately."

With that, she lifted herself up, going to her desk to arrange her things. As she walked away, Gaara stared intently at her. He'd made a point not to tell her about his training because he knew her medical degree would kick in and she would probably force him to take more days off to train so he could rest properly afterwards. This wasn't an option however, especially with the looming threat of her assailants hanging around them. Gaara was sure they were planning something… something big; this was the reason they had kept low for a while. They would be striking at any moment and Gaara knew he had to stay by her side even if it meant not sleeping at all.

As they made their way to the basement, he realized he would have the rest of the day to train and a swell of energy spread through him. He would finally be able to spar with Naruto, which was his favorite method of training. An extremely good mood took over him as he rode with Sakura in her car.

Apparently, she became aware of this, for she smiled constantly while she spoke. At any other moment, he would have been suspicious of her smiles, but today, he allowed himself to enjoy them thoroughly. It had been a while since such gestures had been directed solely at him.

As he dropped Sakura off at her apartment door, she suddenly turned on him "Alright, you have my orders," she said teasingly. "Get some rest tomorrow. I want you here bright and early Wednesday morning."

"Bright and early?" he asked, clearly confused. "I thought you said you were going to take some days off."

"I am," she replied, a mischievous look in her eyes. "But I have a surprise for you, so I want you here at the same time you come every day."

Knowing there was no room to argue, and because he couldn't ignore the gleam in her eyes, he agreed. As he rode the elevator down to the first floor, he couldn't help wondering what in the world she had planned for him.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Ok, you can open your eyes!" Sakura exclaimed. As soon as Gaara arrived at her condo, she had made him close his eyes as she led him towards one of her rooms. Now, standing in the doorway of what had once been her study, the redhead opened his jade eyes and took in his surroundings with an incredulous gaze.

The small desk which stood in this room was completely gone. Now, smooth and polished wooden floors had replaced the carpet and elegant shidokan scrolls adorned the white walls. It was a mini version of the training hall at the dojo, complete with the small shrine to the martial art's first master.

Gaara stared at the room, mouth slightly open in astonishment. When he had first glanced at this chamber, he had thought it was a small study. But now, as he stood in it, he realized it was almost the same size of the main bedroom.

"Do you like it?" Sakura asked, as she slid on her socks towards the center of the floor.

The redhead tried to say something, but was, for the first time in his life, completely speechless.

"It's your very own training hall!" she exclaimed with glee, throwing her arms in the air. "Naruto told me all about your training, and since I didn't want you to lose sleep for my sake, I decided to remodel this room. Now, you can train here all you want and since I'm taking some days off, you can train all day."

She glided across the floor, as if ice skating with her socks. "I also thought it'd be better for you to stay over, at least until the tournament next week. This way you can train well into the night if you want, and you don't have to get up extra early to get here in the morning." She looked up at him expectantly, but he was still standing at the doorway, completely awestruck. "Well, what do you think?" she probed.

Not knowing exactly what the emotions running through him were, Gaara stood completely still. It had always been his dream to have a personal training hall, a place where he could escape to any time he chose, in the privacy of his own home. This apartment wasn't his, but it was the closest he'd come to achieving his dream. And he owed it all to this pink haired woman standing in front of him.

She'd done all this for _him._ It was the kindest gesture he had ever been privileged to experience. Even though the whole issue could be hidden behind the pretense that he was her bodyguard and she needed him to be well rested, Gaara knew, deep down inside, that this wasn't the main reason. The motive behind this precious gift she was giving him was far deeper and personal… she was doing it just because she wanted to do, because she _could_ do it. Even though he'd never given her a reason to do such an amazing thing for him, she went ahead and did it anyway.

In a quick movement, he stepped towards her, but before she knew what was happening, he had wrapped his arms around her and was hugging her fiercely.

"This is the first time," he said in a tight voice, "I have ever received a gift from anyone. It's magnificent."

Smiling sadly at his statement, Sakura returned his embrace heartedly.

"_Thank you_," he whispered.

"You're _very_ welcome," she replied. "It's the least I can do for the man who saved my life and will probably do so again."

He smiled softly, letting her go.

"Oh, by the way," Sakura said, just remembering. "Naruto's coming over to train with you. He told me how you two love to spar with each other before a tournament, so I told him to come over. I also asked him to stop by the dojo to pick up your uniform and stuff."

Before Gaara could say anything, before he could express amazement at her gestures, the doorbell rang as if on queue, and the loud shouts of the fox boy could be clearly heard.

As he watched a laughing Sakura run for the door, he was amazed at how cheerful she was. It seemed as if nothing in the world made her happier than to give things to her friends, as if their smiles were meant to fuel hers. Not for the first time, Gaara was amazed at what an amazing person she was. It seemed Naruto was completely right about her.

Turning back to the room, Gaara closed his eyes and breathed out deeply. He had always known his life would someday turn in his favor but he had never known when. Things has started to look better once he managed to move out with his siblings and they only improved when he managed to get a reputation as a good bodyguard. But he would never have imagined that the brightest ray of light to pierce the darkness surrounding his life, would come with beautiful green eyes and radiant pink hair.

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Sakura combed her hair softly as she sat on her bed, clad in her pajamas. Despite the tiredness she felt, it had been a great day. Naruto and Gaara had initiated the new training hall with a flourish, training for almost 6 hours non-stop until Sakura had been forced to stop them so they could have lunch. Eating as fast as they could, they returned to their workout without wasting any time. Feeling the need for exercise as she heard the two champions sparring enthusiastically, Sakura decided to go for a run.

Her two exercise junkies happily joined her, but she quickly ran out of breath when Naruto challenged Gaara to a race and the pink haired girl was hard pressed to keep up. They stopped at the park for a few crunches and pushups, and Sakura was amazed at how they could do this everyday. Being the first to collapse, she sat on the grass watching the redhead and the blond work their way through a few hundred pushups.

On their way home, Naruto carried a completely exhausted Sakura on piggyback followed by a contently walking Gaara. Despite the fact that it was getting dark, both shidokan fighters found enough strength left in them for a quick spar. Joining a now showered Sakura for dinner, both men devoured the Chinese takeout in seconds. After the meal, Naruto left and the pink haired girl was more than ready to go to bed.

Sitting on her bed, she heard Gaara come out of the guest bedroom's shower. He'd agreed to stay over, since he was more than enthusiastic to use the new training hall, saying he wanted to work on some new moves he didn't want anyone to see.

Sakura turned towards the doorway, catching a glimpse of his movement. She could see into the guest bedroom through her door, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight that suddenly came into view.

Gaara stood there, arms lifted as he dried his hair with a towel, only wearing a pair of black sweatpants, his whole torso deliciously exposed. Sakura didn't know a man could have such muscles… alright, maybe she did _know _it was possible, she'd been a medical student for crying out loud… but she'd never been able to see such a perfect example of a male body so close before. Every muscle rippled in perfect unison as Gaara kept toweling his hair. His biceps exposed as he held his arms aloft made Sakura catch her breath, but the air was finally stolen from her lungs when he turned around, given her an ample view of his well defined back.

The comb Sakura was holding fell lose from her hand, making a soft thud on the floor.

Turning at the sound, Gaara found Sakura sitting on her bed, looking into his room. He half smiled at her, but only received a forced grin and a blush in return. He was confused for a moment, thinking he had done something wrong, but then he followed her line of sight and realized she was looking directly at his stomach.

Realization that she was admiring his body followed quickly and a devilish grin covered his face. He had to admit he wasn't immune to such antics, this very afternoon he had found himself admiring Sakura's well shaped bottom as they went for a run. But to find _her_ looking at _him?_ This was very interesting.

With the stalking gait of a feline, Gaara approached Sakura's room.

Inner Sakura proceeded to faint.

Sakura blushed furiously, painfully aware he had caught her staring. This was _bad._ Being a male, he was probably getting all the wrong signals and now he was making his way towards her, the look on his face nothing less than predatory. How the _hell_ was she going to get out of this one?

But much to her surprise, Gaara stopped at her door. He was tall enough to put his arms on the arch of her doorway as he leaned in, exposing his torso directly in front of her sitting form.

"I just wanted to thank you for everything again," he said gently, the devilish grin momentarily gone. "I had a great time today."

"So did I," Sakura replied, feigning calm.

He looked at her keenly for an instant, with a look of intense longing in his jade eyes. Miraculously, he found some of that longing reflected in her emerald gaze, but he also found doubt and fear in her eyes.

'Someone must have hurt her terribly,' he thought, but kept the notion to himself. He would have plenty of time to coax it out of her… it would do no good to rush things.

"Sweet dreams," he said, grinning once more, walking back towards his room.

Sakura gave a silent sigh of relief as she saw him enter his bedroom, his back turned to her.

As Gaara proceeded to close the door, a mischievous glint passed through his eyes as he turned to look at her. "By the way, sometimes I tend to sleep naked…"

Sakura gulped, trying to fight the images which were now dancing through her overly imaginative mind.

"…so if you need anything knock first or suffer the consequences." And with that, he closed the door, leaving a trembling Sakura glued to the spot.

Breathing heavily for a couple of minutes, she finally managed to compose herself. Flying from her bed, she made her way to her bathroom, opening the tap and throwing cold water on her face.

As she slumped backwards on the cold tiles of the wall, Sakura painstakingly knew, with the words the redhead next door had just thrown at her, that she would definitely not get _any_ sleep tonight.

* * *

HAHA! (laughs evilly). I just couldn't resist writing this last scene, I mean, a half naked Gaara? Come on! Oh dear, oh dear oh dear… Gaara's being naughty! (screams with glee!) Poor Sakura… or lucky Sakura I should say!

Hope you liked it! I know it came out as a real long chapter, but I just wanted to keep writing. Let me know what you think. :)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello! I'm _extremely_ sorry for the delay in putting this up, but it just couldn't be helped. These past two weeks have been nothing less than hectic! My boss quit her job and left me with _tons_ of work… I've been working overtime at the office almost every day. Blaugh! But no matter, in apology I went ahead and wrote another really _long_ chapter… YEY :) I hope you enjoy it as much as the last one! Hehe.

Thanks again for all the review… you guys ROCK!

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Tournament**

Looking out one of the small windows in their dressing room, Gaara surveyed the arena with calculating jade eyes. The tournament was being held at one of Konoha's largest temples, a sanctuary for the order of fighting monks who resided in these mountain sides long ago. People were coming in, taking seats on the stands surrounding the wooden arena. The area was open, but was covered by a tall ceiling, keeping everyone dry from the occasional rain, even though the rays of the early morning sun were shining down brightly at the moment. To one side, there stood a small table, where the judges of the tournament would sit; on the other side in front, there were some chairs, reserved for the dojos' special guests.

Konoha's dressing room was situated in a small adjacent building, and Gaara's team mates were getting ready behind him. Naruto jumped around, practising punches with an equally electrified Lee. Shino sat on the floor, calmly meditating. Neji sat next to Tenten, who was wrapping some bandages around her arm; he seemed to be whispering words of encouragement into her ear. This was to be her first tournament in the shidokan fighting style and was evidently nervous.

The red head didn't pay much attention to them, though. He was intently watching the arriving spectators, trying to catch a glimpse of pink hair somewhere in the crowd. Sakura hadn't arrived yet, which unconsciously, made him a bit anxious, his face settling into a scowl. He tensed his biceps as he stood there in his characteristic stance, arms crossed over his chest. Having shared much of his training with her, he wanted Sakura to be there when the time came for him to put his techniques to use. He wanted to let her know how much he appreciated the private training hall she had graced him with… wanted to show her how much his fighting style had improved.

And he wanted her to see and experience how strong he was, how he could bury any opponent which crossed his path…

Mentally berating himself for having such thoughts, Gaara's brow furrowed further, his gaze never leaving the incoming crowd. Why would he want to prove himself to her in such a way? Why did it matter? Before he could come up with an answer, suddenly and without warning, a yapping Naruto and a grinning Lee stood on either side of him.

"Oi, carrot top," Naruto teased his friend, "it seems like you want to kill someone with that look on your face. Who are you watching? One of our challengers?" He finished, as he scanned the crowd himself.

"No one," Gaara answered coldly, not turning towards the blond. It was easy to see he was on the verge of losing his temper.

"Ha! I bet our team mate here is just nervous because of the upcoming fights!" Lee exclaimed, placing a hand on Gaara's shoulder. "But don't worry, my friend, the strength of our youth is with us… we will not lose!" He finished, eyes glimmering with tears.

Turning his head slightly, the red head directed his killer gaze towards Lee's hand, resting calmly on his shoulder. The glare in his eyes grew colder still.

Naruto smirked at the situation, knowing Lee was asking for a beating by being so familiar with Gaara. The funny thing was, Fuzzy Eyebrows wasn't even aware of the impeding sense of doom emanating from the professional bodyguard. All Gaara needed was an excuse to explode in a temper tantrum and Lee was providing it magnificently.

Not wanting to have inner team conflicts before such an important event, Naruto decided to intervene. "Don't worry, she'll be here soon," he quietly said.

This provided the perfect distraction, as Gaara turned towards the crowd, looking for shades of vibrant pink once more.

"Who's _she_?" Lee asked, mercifully taking his hand off Gaara.

"Sakura," Naruto answered with a smirk. "You know, my best friend. The one Gaara's working for?"

Lee's eyes gleamed like stars instantaneously. "You mean to tell me that beauty is coming to see us fight? YES!" He jumped in the air, brandishing his fist. "This is my chance to prove myself to her! Once she sees me win, she won't be able to turn me down when I ask her out. I swear, if I lose before the eyes of such a gorgeous woman, I will run a 1000 laps barefoot around the city!"

Gaara's gaze now turned completely murderous as he looked round towards Lee, who as usual, didn't notice anything. At seeing the red head's reaction, Naruto fought the need to laugh out loud with all his might. Even though he knew Sakura and Gaara had grown a lot closer, he had never expected such a reaction from his friend. It seemed there was more to this relationship than any of them was saying… a mischievous look crossed the blond's eyes as he contemplated the interrogation he would soon be giving Sakura.

Watching Gaara advance determinedly towards Lee, Naruto looked desperately for a way to avoid the eminent brawl. As if on cue, a flash of pink hair crossed his line of vision, followed by the gleam of equally beautiful black hair. The blond gave a giddy smile as he saw Hinata approach.

"Oi, they're here!" he exclaimed, suddenly remembering that Lee's life was in danger.

Turning around immediately, Gaara searched the incoming viewers urgently. When his eyes finally found her, his shoulders visibly relaxed. A smile crept into his eyes as he looked at her. Sakura was dressed in some flared jeans and a tight white t-shirt with the kanji of "Konoha Shidokan" written in black on the front. In Gaara's opinion, she looked even more beautiful when she dressed casually. His gaze falling to her companion, the red head finally managed to smile when he saw Hinata wearing a similar shirt; it was orange however, and had the kanji for "Kyuubi" written in white. Knowing Sakura had had the shirts made especially for the occasion, Gaara couldn't help but grin at Naruto's sudden blush as he saw Hinata's shirt.

His scowl returned however, when a tall man stepped in between the two women and wrapped his arms around their shoulders.

"I know what you're thinking," Naruto said, glancing at the trio. "But you don't have to worry. Ero-sennin won't let anything happen to them, that's why I asked him to watch over Sakura today. He might hit on both of them, but he'll protect them as effectively as you or me."

Saying nothing, Gaara's gaze never left Sakura. He knew Jiraiya was more than an accomplished fighter and was, in fact, a revered master; so he indeed had nothing to worry about. Even though Gaara preferred to watch over Sakura himself, he knew he didn't have any choice but to delegate his responsibility for the day. This tournament was just too important and he needed to concentrate fully on the upcoming fights. This was, however, very hard to do, especially when the pink haired woman he was watching popped into his mind in the least expected moments.

It made him angry sometimes how she could disrupt his thoughts so easily. He would be thinking about something else altogether when she would suddenly rush into his head and banish all else. Irritated at the fact that he couldn't control it, Gaara would sometimes slip into a bad mood, thinking himself weak for letting himself be influenced by her so much. It was a feeling he wasn't used to and it was far from comfortable.

The bad mood would vanish however, as soon as Sakura would turn a smile towards him or say something nice. It was then when he thought being weak wasn't so bad after all…

Shaking his head abruptly, the red head cleared his head, flooding his mind with thoughts about the combats he would just face. With the determination that had gotten him through years of underground fighting, his hands turned into tight fists as he turned around to face his fellow class mates.

They were a good team, they all knew it. They would be able to win, but it would be a difficult victory. The problem lay with the old rivalries they had and angry emotions would definitely immerge when fighting the order dojos, especially when it came to Sound.

Kakashi-sensei walked into the room in that precise moment, and all conversation died.

"It's time," he said solemnly. He was about to go on, when Gai-sensei entered behind him, cutting him off completely and immediately delivering one of his classic pep talks. Kakashi rolled his eyes and sighed audibly, making his way towards the back of the room.

Gaara paid little attention to Gai's speech, knowing he didn't need it. Everything he needed to win the fights, he already had in him. His confidence was unbreakable, even more so because he knew he had the support of a certain HPhar manager. Glancing out the window once more, he saw Jiraiya whisper something into the girls' ears. Sakura laughed loudly, dismissing what the older man had just told her while Hinata blushed furiously. The hermit's guffaws echoed throughout the temple as he led the two of them towards their seats.

"Are you ready?" Kakashi-sensei asked Gaara, approaching him quietly.

Looking at Sakura's retreating back, the red head forced himself to pull his gaze away, turning towards his teacher.

He looked Kakashi straight in the eye and saw the tenseness behind his gaze. This was the first time they would fight Sound in years, and the pressure was eating at all of them. They _needed_ to win this.

Summoning all his courage, Gaara buried all his nervousness and uneasiness in a matter of seconds, something he had learned to do long ago before a fight. There was no room for fear in moments like these.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he answered firmly.

"Good," Kakashi replied smiling through his mask, as he turned towards Gai once more.

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Sitting in the front seat of chairs next to the arena, Sakura looked around. She was amazed at what good seats they had received, but in truth, the thought shouldn't have come as a surprise. Jiraiya was a renowned shidokan master and had been a teacher at Konoha Shidokan for years. He was the former sensei of the now reigning world champion, and the least the committee could do was offer the best seats for him and his guests.

Smiling as she looked at the large outgoing man sitting next to her, Sakura realized, not for the first time, how similar sensei and deshi were. They were both loud, quick to laugh and quick to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. But they were also faithful friends who would put their life on the line for the people they cared for. Knowing this made the pink haired girl feel secure and knew she couldn't ask for a better replacement for Gaara… despite the fact that the older man was now flirting with a woman sitting behind them.

Rolling her eyes at his typical behaviour, Sakura looked around the temple. Large scrolls bearing the kanjis of the participating dojos hung from the ceiling. The decorations around the arena were old fashioned and simple, but suited the occasion quite well. Suddenly aware of the seriousness with which the participants took this whole event, Sakura became anxious, concerned about her friends' welfare.

"Don't worry Sakura," Hinata said, looking at her concerned face. "They'll be alright."

"I know," she replied, "but I just can't help worrying a little."

Hinata remained quite, no doubt harbouring the same fears herself. Sakura sighed and returned to her inspection of the surroundings. Turning around slightly, she saw two people, a man and a woman, sitting a few chairs away in the row behind her. The woman had dark blond hair, tied up into four ponytails. The hairdo was somehow extravagant, as the ends of her hair poked out behind her head. The man beside her, however, drew the eye more than his companion. Purple tattoos marked his whole face, thick lines adorning his cheeks, chin and forehead.

As Sakura watched him, the blond woman turned towards her, a small look of surprise crossing her eyes. Turning to the tattooed man, she whispered something in his ear, making him look up as well. Their scrutinizing gazes forced Sakura to turn away, but as she did so, she couldn't help but see the smirk the woman was directing at her. It made her feel very uncomfortable, as if they knew something she didn't.

But before she could think more about it, her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind as the loud sound of a gong resounded throughout the temple. All the spectators took their seats quickly, settling down into an energized silence.

The doors of one of the small adjacent buildings opened and out stepped the participants of Cloud's Shidokan. Walking solemnly into the arena, there were met by clapping as they sat down on the outskirts of the wooden floor in front of the judges' table.

Next came the members of Mist's Shidokan. They were all smiles and waved towards their supporters in the stands, receiving whistles and clapping. They took their seats on the floor in front of the guest chairs where Sakura, Hinata and Jiraiya were situated, facing the members of Cloud on the opposite side of the arena.

After Mist's participants were settled, the doors to another small building opened. Sound's Shidokan stepped out then, causing Sakura's heart to beat quicker in anger and resentment. Scowling at the approaching fighters, she saved her worst glare for their sensei, the tall snake-like man with the long black hair. She hadn't seen Orochimaru in years, but as he approached with his team, memories came flooding into her mind.

This man had been the cause of Sasuke's betrayal. Thanks to him _everything_ had changed. Willingly accepting Orochimaru's offer for power, Sasuke had abandoned his team mates at Konoha's Shidokan and left for Sound, taking all the knowledge and techniques he had learned with him. To say they had been betrayed was an understatement, and Sasuke's name was completely erased from the dojo's logs… for them, it was as if he'd never existed. But nothing could compare to the feelings of abandonment his best friend had suffered… Naruto had wept and raged for days.

Being caught in the middle of the two, and being Sasuke's girlfriend at the time, Sakura didn't know what to do. She had been very young then and the death of her parents had been extremely recent. Sasuke was the man she clung to for support, the man she turned to; he had been an amazing companion at first and she couldn't have been happier… but it was when he left for Sound that he started turning on her. Knowing how fragile her emotional state was, he neglected and manipulated her. The psychological abuse she suffered at his hands was inconceivable. He'd made her believe that without him, she was nothing… that she _needed_ him to survive. When she looked back at the situation, she really couldn't believe how she could've put up with so much suffering for so long.

Sasuke had immersed himself in Sound's philosophy of gaining strength and power no matter the cost… no matter if it meant hurting and destroying the people you loved and cared for.

Now, as she watched Orochimaru walk by leading his shidokan team, flashes of deep anger shone in her emerald gaze. So concerned was she in glaring at the man that she was unaware of the sneer the snake-man threw Jiraiya's way. The self proclaimed hermit sobered for an instant, returning the glare ten fold. Finally, Sound's team settled down on the floor to their left and Sakura's breath managed to return to normal.

The sound of the gong resounded through the temple again, as the door to the last dressing room was opened. Out stepped the elite members of Konoha's Shidokan and their arrival was met by great cheers and applause. Being the host dojo, it was only natural for them to receive such attention, but even so, it was amazing at how much support they were receiving from their fans.

Sakura wasn't concentrating on the noise, however, as her gaze finally fell on Konoha's participants… one in particular.

Dressed in white shidokan uniforms, Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei led the way, followed by Tenten, Shino, Neji and Lee. Next came Naruto, who was waving enthusiastically at his fans, jumping up and down with excitement. But the man who followed commanded Sakura's complete attention.

Gaara was dressed in a pitch black uniform, a blood red kanji on the front over his heart. "Sabaku", it read, as if warning opponents of the danger they faced. His black belt also held tinges of red, with small kanjis for "Konoha" written at its end. The blackness of his uniform only enhanced the brightness of his hair, making him stand out even more. But what caught Sakura's breath were his eyes… those intense jade eyes which shone with so much determination and passion. This was what he _lived _for… there was no doubt about that.

As they settled down on the floor to Sakura's right, Naruto looked towards them. He waved excitedly and received a small wave from a blushing Hinata in return. Jiraiya, however, stood up abruptly, almost knocking Sakura off her chair.

"Come on, baka deshi!" he yelled, "you need to win this thing!"

"Who are you calling baka?" Naruto screamed back, much to everyone's laughter. The blond's face went red in anger as he waved his fist at his former tutor.

Jiraiya only laughed, resuming his seat once more. Sakura managed to compose herself in time to turn towards them once more, only to catch Gaara staring directly at her.

She gasped quietly as he held her eyes in his, losing herself in his green gaze. Such intensity was reflected in his stare that Sakura was afraid she would be overwhelmed. It was then when she realized how vital this tournament was to him… how much it mattered. She'd always known he and Naruto were dedicated to their martial art but she'd never realized how _truly_ important it was. A strange feeling overcame her as she comprehended that shidokan was, in fact, Gaara's life. Fisting her hands on her laps, she knew she would cheer for him until her throat went soar.

A barely controlled snort came in the direction of the tattooed man and blond woman behind her. She was forced to look away from Gaara as she turned towards them. When she did so, the woman slapped the man's arms, silencing him, but it was evident she was trying hard not to giggle herself.

'What's _their_ problem?' Sakura thought, as she turned around to face the arena once more.

The judges of the tournament were coming out then, taking their seats at the table reserved for them. They were all serious looking men, some old and some young, all of them dressed in white shidokan uniforms. As Sakura looked over them, a sudden thought occurred to her.

"Jiraiya-sama," she said turning towards her bodyguard-for-the-day. "If you are such an acclaimed master, why aren't you judging this tournament?"

Laughing quietly, he turned towards her. "I judged many tournaments before I retired and enjoyed doing so. But sometimes there would be too many problems between fellow judges, especially when they always seemed to favour their respective dojos when handing out points. A lot of bickering went on and I simply lost interest in it."

"I see," Sakura said, looking over the judges once more.

A man stepped up to the arena, a microphone in his hand. He would be today's announcer and would call the fighters up to their respective fights. Giving a speech concerning shidokan's history, Sakura found her attention slipping. She surveyed the participants… all of them seemed anxious but happy to be here. She found her gaze returning to Gaara once more, but he wasn't looking at her. He was intently staring at the members of Sound sitting across from him, as if trying to discern their weaknesses.

"Ano… Jiraiya-sama," Hinata squeaked nervously.

"Yes, Hinata-chan?" the older man answered, flashing a smile her way.

"Erm… I've never been to a shidokan tournament before…" she said, bringing her fingers over her mouth. "Could you explain how it works?"

"Why certainly!" Jiraiya exclaimed proudly. "There are actually different types of tournaments. In some, you need to fight your way through different opponents, getting disqualified as if you lose. In those tournaments only two fighters are left in the end, and the winner is the victor of the entire event. The world championship is organized so. The one we are about to watch is different, however. In this type of tournament, the fighters work in teams, in their dojo's team. They fight independently, but the overall result depends on the performance of all the members."

"So basically," Sakura interrupted, "Everyone fights everyone and in the end, the dojo with the most points wins."

Jiraiya laughed at the girl's quick working mind. "Exactly. You catch on pretty quickly, eh, Sakura-chan."

She smiled widely at him… her intelligence was something she had always prided herself on.

"In this tournament, each participant fights one challenger from each opposing dojo, meaning that each person will have a total of three fights," Jiraiya continued. "Points are given depending on the participant's precision, on their technique as well as their speed. Someone who fights intelligently will definitely score more points than someone who just rushes in and attempts attacks without thinking."

'So much for Naruto,' Sakura thought, sighing inwardly. He had a tendency to charge into fights without much planning. But he hadn't become world champion for being careless… Sakura knew he would be able to overcome his blunders; she had faith in her friend.

"The problem with this type of tournament," the former sensei was saying, "is that it incites extremely 'passionate' responses from the different teams."

"Erm… what do you mean by 'passionate' responses?" Hinata asked anxiously.

Jiraiya's gaze turned steely for a moment. "Well, it basically means each team is fighting for the honour of their respective dojo, and the dojo's reputation hangs on the line. So all combatants are going all out, giving the fights all they've got. This can sometimes get out of hand, especially since some evident rivalries exist between schools."

Sakura nodded in agreement, as she glared at Sound's Shidokan for an instant.

'Oh Naruto-kun,' Hinata thought worriedly, 'please be safe.'

The man with the microphone announced the start of the tournament, and the roars of the crowd drowned his voice. Everyone proceeded to look at the digital screen hanging from the ceiling, which would announce the names of the fighters who would step into the arena.

They would be starting with the women's category first. There was only one woman per dojo, so this would be a short section of fights. Each combat was timed and would last up to a maximum of 5 minutes.

Even so, as Sakura sat there and looked at the names of the first pair of combatants, she knew this was going to be a very long day.

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Tenten managed to win all her fights but one. Her loss against Tayuya of Sound weighed heavily on her and she came second in the women's category. As the weapon's expert fought relentlessly, Hinata could see Neji fisting his hands on his knees as if trying to control himself from stepping into the arena.

'He must really like her', the shy girl thought to herself as a small pang of regret swept through her. If things had been different, she would have been able to consider Tenten as a sister… if only their families hadn't been torn apart… if only Neji's father hadn't died…

Knowing were her line of thought would end, Hinata decided to leave it at that. She turned towards the arena once more as the male category was about to start fighting. Nervousness ran through her since she had never seen Naruto in combat before. She could only hope he wouldn't get hurt.

The crowd hummed with tension as they awaited the names of the first match to be shown. Hinata's heart skipped three beats as Naruto's name suddenly flashed on the screen. He would be fighting Cloud.

As the foxboy jumped up excitedly to land on the arena, Hinata closed her eyes covering her face with her hands. She knew she would have to face this moment sooner or later but that didn't mean it would be easy. Mustering her courage, she forced herself to have faith in Naruto, to trust in his abilities. Willing to give him all the support she could, she finally lifted her eyes up to the arena only to see the two combatants rush towards each other.

The blond came in hard, with an onslaught of attacks which made his opponent stagger back from the sheer force of his blows. He recovered however, managing to somersault back and land a distance away from Naruto. 'Kyuubi' didn't stop coming though, he rushed towards his opponent once more but the man was better prepared. Managing to block most of the blows, he started attacking in return, landing some hits on Naruto's chest.

But as much as Cloud's participant tried, his attacks just weren't enough. They did nothing to stop Naruto's momentum and the blond kept coming, not slowing down at all. The fight ended when the reigning world champion kicked his opponent viciously, sending him flying out of the arena. The man was immediately disqualified and the combat ended well before the 5 minutes had passed.

The crowd stood up, cheering madly, the noise they made was overwhelming. Hinata turned around to see Sakura jump up and down in front of her seat, her arms in the air. Not being able to fight the smile which was creeping up on her lips, the shy girl stood up as well, clapping in glee. Naruto turned towards them as he was proclaimed the winner, eyes shining with triumph. As his gaze met hers, Hinata thought her heart would burst from her chest.

Finally managing to wave back in his direction, she received a wide smile from him as he resumed his seat next to his team mates. Sighing as the next combatants were announced, Hinata's nervousness dissipated completely. There was no need to worry… Naruto would be fine.

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Sakura watched the fights cheering her heart out for Kohoha. All of them fought extremely well, winning all their fights against Mist and Cloud. What was amazing to see was how each of them had a completely different approach to combat, despite of being trained by the same teachers.

Lee approached his opponents politely, as if giving them a chance to prove themselves and to show their ability. This could have been considered foolish, since allowing your adversary to attack first without doing anything was extremely risky. However, no one could beat Konoha's 'Green Beast' when it came to speed, so Lee always managed to escape from bone crushing blows at the last minute and inflict damage while doing so.

Shino was extremely calm and calculating, analyzing his opponent completely before he did anything. This sometimes took a long time as he stood there staring at his adversary who in return hesitated to attack under his scrutinizing stare. But when the moment came, 'Kamakiri' would use one of his insect techniques and flatten his opponent in a matter of moments.

Entering the arena with an arrogant look on his face, Neji didn't give his opponents a chance to get near him. His defensive techniques were amazing and were only matched by his attacking tactics. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise as he performed a breath taking technique where he would spin in the air, sending kicks and punches flying, offense and defense in one.

Naruto, being the explosive person he was, would jump into the attack as soon as the match started. This would usually catch his opponents off guard, but the ones who saw him fight before they fought him themselves already knew what to expect. Assuming defensive postures, they would suffer his attacks but would soon realize the foxboy's stamina was far greater than theirs and that he could keep coming at them for hours on end. After a while, they were forced to drop their defense and would lose as soon as they did so.

But the one who differed from the rest of his team mates was no other than 'Sabaku no Gaara'. Sakura's breath would catch every time she saw him fight and a small part of her felt immense pity for his opponents. If you analyzed his combat style, you could certainly say Gaara was cruel. He would let his opponents attack him first, blocking and parrying their useless blows, as if letting them know it was no use to go against the likes of him. Then, with a vicious grin on his face, he would turn the tables around in a fraction of a second, delivering a sand storm of attacks which would batter his adversary to the ground.

Now, Sound's round against Konoha would begin and these last fights would determine the winner of the tournament. Both dojos had won all their combats against Cloud and Mist which meant they were tied at this moment, having received the same amount of points.

As there was a small break before the next round, Sakura leaned back on her chair, having a welcomed rest from all the excitement she had lived through today. She had cheered and cheered, celebrating Konoha's victories with all her heart. Hating to admit it, deep down inside she knew she was becoming a shidokan fan. The fights were just too intense for you not to get involved and the participants fought with all they had. Their passion for their martial art was plain to see.

Hinata had gone to buy something to drink and Jiraiya was once more flirting with the woman behind him. Looking around, Sakura's gaze fell on Sound's side of the arena and she immediately scowled. A man was sitting next to Orochimaru, someone who hadn't been there at the beginning of the tournament. As she looked at him, she knew she'd seen him before… 'Kabuto!' she exclaimed in her head, finally remembering his name.

From what she recalled, he was Orochimaru's prized student and his right hand man. If you actually thought about it, it was extremely suspicious that he wasn't fighting in the tournament; he had a reputation of being Sound's best and his sensei would have definitely wanted him to participate. As she looked him over, Sakura's medical training kicked in and she realized, from the way he was sitting, that he appeared to be injured. He leaned slightly towards his right side and had an arm casually wrapped around his stomach. If you looked at him, you wouldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but Sakura's trained eye noticed the difference. It seemed Kabuto was recovering from a serious injury on the left side of his torso.

But before Sakura's mind could jump to any conclusions, she felt a gruesome chill work its way up from the bottom of her spine, making the hairs on her neck stand on end. Time froze on her and she went completely still. It was a familiar feeling… but one she didn't remember having in years.

Trying not to bolt and run in panic, she managed to calm herself, breathing deeply. Turning her head to survey her surroundings, she tried to spot the person who was inevitably causing her to feel such chills.

It didn't take long to find him.

She looked towards the stands directly behind Konoha's team, where a dark figure could be spotted, sitting casually among the happy and excited crowd. He wore a dark blue jacket, its hood pulled over his head. From the shadows surrounding his face, two gleaming red eyes stared intently at her.

_Sasuke._

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Hinata returned to her seat, a soft drink in each hand, only to find her pink haired friend as pale as a ghost. Sitting down worriedly, she didn't have the time to ask what was wrong, as Sakura's hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist tightly.

"Sasuke's here," she whispered fiercely, "over there, on the stands."

Trying to keep her gaze casual, Hinata looked over to where Sakura's eyes were pointing and spotted the man easily. Her heart leaped with fear as she turned once more to her friend.

"What are we going to do? What is he doing here?" she whispered back.

"I don't know", Sakura replied, her mind racing. "It is possible he's only here to watch the matches. Either way we can't let Naruto know… he would lose all concentration and would probably get disqualified."

"But…" Hinata tried to interrupt.

"No, Hinata!" Sakura exclaimed in a harsh murmur, a pleading look in her eyes. "You know how important this is to him and I will not let Konoha lose before this bastard's eyes. I will not run in fear… Sasuke has no power over me anymore."

As she said those words, a prevailing sense of empowerment swept over her. She was _above_ all this and had been so for many years. Having overcome the suffering and the fear, she would not let herself turn back into the helpless and lost girl she was then. Now, she was a woman of power, forging her way out there in the world, with a multimillionaire company under her care and with successful endeavors everywhere she turned. No man could belittle her… _no man._

Her sense of security only strengthened as she looked at Naruto and Gaara, sitting there on the floor, tension thrumming through every muscle. They were the best of the best and if Sasuke dared to get near her, she knew he would be beaten down to a pulp.

Calming herself completely, she realized she wasn't the only one who had noticed the Uchiha's presence. Orochimaru openly glared at him, a tight frown adorning his face. Sakura smiled evilly, happy this strange encounter was unsettling the snake-man. Rumors had circled round, saying Sasuke had, in the end, betrayed Orochimaru as well; once he had obtained the level of power he wanted, he'd walked out and turned his back on Sound. From the looks they were exchanging, it seemed the gossip was true.

There was no time to ponder further though, as the sound of the gong announced the beginning of the final round of the tournament. Everyone's attention returned immediately towards the arena and Sakura's hands clenched on her knees, awaiting the announcement of the first fighters. The tension was overwhelming.

Neji fought Kidoumaro first, the strange fighter from Sound who mimicked a spider when he fought. It was an even match and the 'Byakugan' was hard pressed to score points. Their fighting level was extremely similar, as both combatants gave and received attacks. At one point, Kidoumaro landed a vicious punch on Neji's shoulder, dislocating it. As Hinata hissed in dismay, Sakura jumped from her seat, almost rushing towards the arena to treat his injury. She was stopped by Jiraiya however, who silently told her to stay put. He was right, for the fight was far from over. Neji's injury slowed him a bit, but he kept fighting, emerging the victor after the 5 minutes were over. He had managed to score more points that Kidoumaro.

Sakura would have gone over to treat him, but she was forced to stay in her seat for it was Naruto's turn again. He fought valiantly against Dosu, who matched the foxboy in speed. She cheered in her friend's name and was surprised to find the shy Hinata standing beside her, cheering as well. In the end, the masked man was no match for the world champion who clearly dominated the fight. Sakura frowned slightly, for it had seemed too easy. It was as if Sound knew they couldn't win against Naruto and had deliberately made him face their weakest member. That wasn't possible however, since the screen chose the opponents at random… or did it?

Forcing herself to pay more attention to the combatants which were chosen to face each other, she witnessed Shino's loss against Jiroubu. Even though Shino was quicker, the fat man was far stronger and his blows had much more force behind them. To equal the damage Jiroubu inflicted with a single punch, 'Kamakiri' had to land three blows on his opponent. In the end, Shino managed to hold out for the entire 5 minutes, but was severely wounded and had scored less points than his adversary.

Lee's fight against Sakon was breathtaking as he moved and danced around his opponent, a whirlwind of punches and kicks. But the results weren't in Konoha's favor, as Sakon seemed to be at two places at once. It seemed as if there was actually two of him in the arena facing the 'Green Beast'. Gai-sensei screamed his enthusiasm at Lee, but it was useless. Sakon landed a heavy punch on Lee's face, immediately followed by another combo of blows. He staggered back against the onslaught and was finally forced to place a foot out the edge of the arena. He was disqualified immediately.

The crowd booed Sakon, claiming it was unfair, that Lee had been tricked. In the judges' eyes it had been perfectly fair and they declared Sakon the winner without further ado.

The tension thrummed throughout the whole temple, as both dojos were now tied again. The final fight would decide the results of the whole tournament.

Trembling in nervousness, Sakura saw Gaara stand up an icy glare in his jade eyes. Making his way calmly towards the arena, he stood and waited for his adversary to join him.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Orochimaru whisper something in Kimimaru's ear before he stood up. He nodded quickly at his sensei, as if agreeing to instructions. Knowing Kimimaru was the strongest member of Sound after Kabuto, Sakura was now sure the fights were fixed. In the bottom of her heart, she knew they were planning to hurt Gaara and bad.

She sat on the edge of her seat knowing she wouldn't be able to warn him in time. All she could do was trust his abilities and have faith that he would be able to handle the situation.

The referee announced the beginning of the fight. Even though they assumed a fighting stance, none of the opponents made a move towards the other. It seemed they were assessing each other's skills, each other's power. There was a charged atmosphere which was threatening to explode between them and a tense silence fell over the crowd.

In the exact same second, both of them charged at each other, meeting in the middle of the arena. What ensued was a fight very few people in the temple had ever experienced. Moving at such a high speed it was hard for the human eye to follow, Gaara and Kimimaru fought each other relentlessly, caught in an intricate dance, moving according to each other's movements, predicting each other's attacks perfectly.

They punched and kicked all over the arena, jumping away only to return with a new attack seconds later. The crowd cheered and hissed with every hit that connected, knowing it was a privilege to observe moves and techniques no one had ever seen before.

Sakura could barely hear her voice among all the noise, but she didn't care. She kept encouraging Gaara at the top of her lungs, feeling her throat protest at her constant screams.

But all of a sudden, everything seemed to slow down to a sluggish pace, as in mid air, Kimimaru punched Gaara in the face with such force, Sakura heard his neck snap from the blow. Blood dripping from his mouth, 'Sabaku no Gaara' fell to the ground, a disoriented look in his eyes. But Kimimaru didn't stop there. As the red head tried to get up, he kicked him directly in his stomach, eliciting a cry of pain from Gaara. In a fraction of a second, the white haired man threw a combo of blows, deliberately hitting the fallen man in strategic places. Sakura wasn't sure if Gaara would be able to stand up again; his opponent had seen to that. Her breath stopping as Kimimaru readied a kick which would shatter Gaara's kneecap to pieces. She couldn't believe what was happening when the red head managed to roll on the floor, avoiding the devastating hit as the referee finally came to stand between them.

An overwhelming sense of relief flooded through her, but it was short lived for she saw her bodyguard on the wooden floor, coughing blood with every breath. He was trying to get up, but his legs were failing him. Knowing she couldn't get in there to help him, Sakura buried her fingernails in her palms. The seconds were going by and if Gaara didn't stand up, he would lose the fight. Naruto and his whole team screamed encouragement, but it seemed the red head couldn't hear them.

Losing her grip on her rational mind as furious anger flooded through her, Sakura stood up and gave a shout which was clearly heard through all the noise surrounding her.

"**GAARA, GET UP! GET UP AND KICK HIS UGLY SOUND ASS!"**

Hearing her voice, Gaara looked up towards her and was amazed at what he saw.

There she was standing, her fists clenched in front of her, anger and flames spitting out of her beautiful green eyes. Anger directed at his opponent; anger at the man who had hurt him. She was standing there for him, screaming for _him_, giving him all the support her small frame could muster. He couldn't possible let her down… he simply _couldn't_.

Standing up with renewed strength, Gaara faced Kimimaru once more.

"You're mine," he said simply, but his opponent didn't seem to hear.

The red head came in with a set of highly practiced blows, shattering Kimimaru's defense. The white haired man's eyes widened in surprise, amazed at this new tactic. Gaara kept coming, not even stopping to catch his breath. His opponent managed to block some of the hits and it seemed they were evenly matched once more.

But fighting 'Sabaku no Gaara' was like being caught in a sand storm and Orochimaru's prided man was now experiencing it first hand. He tried to keep up with the blows but was inevitably forced to lower his guard… which led to his undoing.

Gaara landed a blow on his face, and just as Kimimaru had done, he kept coming. Each hit connecting with excruciating force, the red head forced his adversary back, until with his very last blow, he slammed his fist into his chest, sending the white haired man flying. He landed outside the arena, right on top of Kabuto who was effectively buried beneath him.

Glaring intently at the Sound team, Gaara spit on the floor in front of them as he turned on his heel and walked away.

A mere second of complete silence followed, which was then broken by the mad screams of the crowd. People were going crazy, hugging each other, slapping each other, jumping up and down. For them, it was the most amazing victory in the history of shidokan and they had been there to see it.

Happiness ran through her as Sakura jumped over the participants of Mist and ran towards the arena. She reached Gaara almost at the same time Naruto did, and the red head was effectively buried in a double embrace from his friends. Anger still piercing through him from the fight, it took him a few moments to realize what was happening. But then he saw Sakura holding on to him congratulating him as she laughed and he saw Naruto screaming in joy on his other side… and his face broke into a smile.

Life couldn't be better.

Chuckling loudly, he lifted both of them, one in each arm and whirled them around, much to Naruto's protests and Sakura's laughter. The crowd answered with cheers, celebrating on the stands themselves.

As Gaara put him down, Naruto turned to see Hinata standing close by. She was wringing her hands nervously in front of her, looking at the floor, as if trying to find the right words to say. Ignoring her nervous stance Naruto rushed towards her and scooped her up in his arms. The shy girl's face turned bright red but the smile on her face revealed her true feelings.

Laughing loudly, Sakura turned from her embracing friends only to find Gaara standing in front of her. A half smile graced his lips as he came closer, taking her hand in his. She squeezed his hand in return as they heard the sound of the gong again. They were all forced to leave the arena, since it needed to be prepared for the trophy ceremony.

Still holding hands, Gaara and Sakura followed Hinata and Naruto who were heading directly towards Konoha's side of the arena. There, his team mates and teachers came to congratulate the red head, all of them overwhelmed with happiness. As they were huddled there in a group, Sakura saw the blond woman and tattooed man walk towards them.

Turning at their approach, Gaara went to meet them, falling into the tight embrace of the woman. Now that she had a better look at her, Sakura could see the blond was quite fit and her attributes were nothing less than voluptuous. It was evident she worked out a lot and was in top shape.

A pang of jealous anger flooded Sakura, as she saw Gaara step away from the woman's embrace only to be patted on the back by the grinning tattooed man. Motioning for them to follow him, the red head stepped up to Sakura.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet," he told her. He then gestured to the two people behind him. "This is my sister Temari and my brother Kankurou."

'Oh', Sakura mouthed, feeling quiet guilty as everything suddenly came into perspective. She giggled nervously as she shook their hands in greeting, receiving a sly smile from Temari.

She was saved from further embarrassment from Naruto, who jumped in to greet Gaara's siblings fondly.

'So he knew all about them and didn't bother to tell me anything,' Sakura thought, glaring for a moment at the blond, even though she knew it wasn't his fault.

But everything was forgotten as her bodyguard stepped up to stand beside her. She looked up at him and gave him a charming smile, receiving a gleaming look in return.

"Party at my place!" Naruto suddenly screamed, much to everyone's delight. Knowing how absentminded her friend was, Sakura rolled her eyes as she realized she would probably have to do the party planning herself. She didn't mind much however, since she knew it was well worth it.

They had all won a great victory today.

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A dark figure sat on the stands, surveying the members of Konoha's Shidokan intently. Not one to miss things, he had clearly seen how Sakura had shouted her encouragement at him, had seen her race across the arena to embrace him… had seem the way she was looking at him now.

Sabaku no Gaara.

His blood suddenly boiled with anger at the thought of that name.

Turning his red gaze towards his left, he saw Kabuto approach slowly, making his way towards him, no doubt. He looked at Orochimaru, who was still sitting on the floor beside the wooded arena. It seemed his former sensei was too much of a coward to come face him himself.

Knowing this encounter would only cause unnecessary problems, he decided it was time to leave.

Using inhuman speed, he disappeared in a blur of movement, leaving an empty space on the stands.

And just like that, Uchiha Sasuke was gone without a trace.

* * *

I only have three words for you: psycho…psycho…psycho! HAHA:)

ALRIGHT! Gaara kicked ass and everyone's happy. I wonder what will happen at Naruto's party, when, let's say, Sakura and Gaara get drunk? HUAHUA! (evil laughter). I just couldn't help teasing you a bit… hehehe.

I promise I'll get the next part up ASAP! And don't forget to review!

Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: You guessed it… work hasn't lessened one bit, hence my delay. At least it will probably be getting better by next week, so I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner. Either way, I knew I needed to get this done today, since a friend from high school is getting married this weekend (oh dear, marriage... grrrr...These things make me nervous…) So I'll probably be useless from the excessive celebrating… hehe. :D

To all my reviewers, my extreme gratitude! You have no idea how happy your comments make me! YEY! I always read your reviews at work when the pressure starts to stress my out and they make me feel a lot better. Hehe.

**Hula Hoop- **thanks for pointing out those _awful_ typos… I've re-read the last chapter and am aware of those and other mistakes, but since I just wanted to upload the thing as quickly as possible, my proof reading was an utter failure. I'll come around to correcting everything at some point or the other, promise. ;)

Alright, on with the show! If you don't mindme saying so, this chapter's great! (does a small victory dance). The title is obviously taken from Tori Amos' album… I've been kind of having a Tori Amos phase lately, hehe... she's the best. A small tribute from me:D

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Under the Pink**

Gaara threw his head back, letting the hot stream of water massage his neck, the liquid effectively vanishing the strain and tension from his muscles. There was nothing better to help with the recovery of the beatings and bruises of a fight than a long hot shower.

He let the water trickle down his body as he crossed his arms in front of his face, leaning them against the wall. Enjoying the hot caress of the shower, he went over the events of the day in his mind. Overall, he was happy with the result of the tournament, you could even say he was proud of it. Knowing Konoha had won thanks to the result of his finishing fight, he was pleased he had not let his dojo down. If he were still the same person who had joined Konoha's Shidokan so many years ago, he wouldn't have cared what the others thought about his fights; he would've looked down on them, threatening them if they dared comment about his techniques or fighting style. Those days were long over, for the red head now knew the difference clearly. His team mates offered him support and did not criticize his prowess just to make fun of him or to denigrate him… they did it because they genuinely wanted to help, wanted to see him improve. It had taken Gaara many years to realize this, and now, he finally understood what it meant to be part of a _team_.

No man could be an island, no matter how hard he tried. Having spent the first years of his life trying to be just that, Gaara was glad he had learned the lesson, despite how difficult it had been. This didn't mean he would be everybody's friend like Naruto was or that he would go out there and be openly friendly with anyone who crossed his path. But he knew his team mates, deep down inside, were aware of how he felt and that was what mattered. After many years, his acceptance at Konoha's Shidokan was now absolute and he was glad, after all the trials and tribulations of his life, he finally had a place he belonged to.

Since he was ever the observer, he started going over everybody's fight, including Tenten's. Remembering their attacks and defensive postures, he tried to pick out their weak points. He wouldn't openly go up to them and tell them what they needed to improve, but he would subtly let them know when the time came to spar back at the dojo. He was about to immerse himself in a thorough analysis, when he was suddenly interrupted by sudden thoughts of a beautiful emerald eyed woman with short pink hair.

His imagination took over quickly and his mind was rapidly filled with images of Sakura joining him in the shower… of the feel of her soft skin against his… of the water trickling down her back… of how it would feel to kiss her under the hot stream, pressing his body against hers…

Growling in frustration, Gaara turned off the water violently, opening the shower curtain with such force, a part of it got ripped from its hooks. Breathing rapidly, he proceeded to dry himself forcefully, taking his anger out on his skin.

What was _wrong_ with him? How could he ever think such things? This was Sakura he was thinking about, his hirer… the woman he was paid to take care of. How could he even contemplate such scenes with her? Where was his professionalism? A bodyguard sleeping with his female employer? It was something directly out of a soap opera, the most clichéd theme for a romantic movie… He was disgusted with himself.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, he leaned back against the cold tiled wall, closing his eyes as he calmed himself. Immediately, thoughts of Sakura flooded his mind, and try as he might, he just couldn't ignore them.

This girl had crept her way under his skin and he had allowed it without with any restraint. How could he let it happen? Just one thought of her beautiful green eyes and her shining smile and he had his answer. He was falling for her… and hard.

Gaara had been in a few of relationships in his life; all of them had been purely sexual, just a means to an end. He'd had a couple of what you would call 'girlfriends', but he never really felt anything for them. They had attached themselves to him for superficial reasons, to see what it was like to date a martial arts champion. Coming at him with all their sexual attributes in plain view, he'd never had a chance to refuse. He was human, after all. But never, in his life, had he been approached by a woman with friendship and kindness.

And once he thought about it… that fact made all the difference.

It made him enjoy her presence, made him want to be with her. Strange feelings he had never thought himself capable of experiencing would surge up whenever she was around. He found himself wanting to share his private thoughts, his ideals, his opinions. In his life, Gaara had never been able to open up with people and he had never wanted to. Naruto had been the sole exception… one person in 25 years; but you couldn't forget the fact that their friendship had blossomed just because the foxboy had persevered in the effort. The people who knew him were aware of his general likes and dislikes because they had been around him for years and had gotten used to his behavior. With Sakura, it was completely different… he somehow felt he could share anything with her and what surprised him the most was that he wanted to. He wanted her to be a part of his life as he wanted to be a part of hers.

Sighing loudly as he ran his hands through his hair, Gaara finally gave in. 'Ok, you admitted it… you _like_ her,' he said to himself, refusing to use a stronger word. 'So now, what are you going to do about it?'

As he thought over the approaches he might take to fix his situation, an evil grin started spreading over his face. He leaned against the sink with his hands, looking at himself in the mirror. He didn't have a set course of action, but he chuckled wickedly as he pondered Sakura's reaction to the different possibilities.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud bang on the door.

"Gaara! You've been in there for ages!" Temari's voice could be heard on the other side. Only she would dare to reprimand him like this. "Hurry the hell up or we're going to be late!"

Opening the door abruptly, he found his sister standing there, hands on her hips. He openly glared at her but only received a small laugh in return.

"You think those looks are going to work on me? Ha! You should know me better, _baby_ brother! Now move your ass and get ready!" she finished, as she turned away.

Gaara growled in response but did as he was told. He went into his room and started dressing, his grin returning to his eyes after a few moments. This was going to be a long night and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

It was time he got under her skin as well.

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As Sakura put down another food plate for the party on the table, Naruto stepped behind her, grabbing some of the mini-sandwiches without her noticing… or so he thought.

"I told you to stay away from these!" Sakura exclaimed, coming between him and the table. "You're going to eat everything and you won't leave anything for your guests!"

"But, Sakura-chan, I'm hungry," he said, rubbing his stomach.

"You just ate!" she replied, losing her patience.

As she went into the kitchen to take out the last of the food, Naruto looked hopefully at the table. Deciding against it since he didn't want to face Sakura's anger for the 10th time that day, he sat down on one of his lush couches.

Naruto's house wasn't the small, run-down place most people would think it would be. In fact, it was completely the opposite. Not wanting to live in an apartment building where he wouldn't have his space, the foxboy had bought a big house in the suburbs of the city, complete with a large garden and swimming pool. The money he had gained from winning countless tournaments let him afford a few well earned luxuries, but Naruto didn't wallow in them. In fact, his house was the only significant purchase he had ever made in his life. He hadn't even bought a car… his exercise policy said it was better to walk, no matter how far it was.

Having taken over the preparations for the party, Sakura had made sure everything was flawless. Even though she wasn't inclined to partying, there was nothing the pink haired girl enjoyed more than to throw a successful bash for her friends. She always outdid herself as a hostess and tonight wouldn't be the exception. Being HPhar's manager brought a few advantages to life, meaning she had the best connections everywhere and all she needed to do was to dial away on her cell phone. She called up the best catering service in Konoha, which had the food she ordered delivered on the spot. She made sure only the best drinks would be served as well as calling a party lights specialist, who made a quick dance floor out of Naruto's wide back porch. Trying to take advantage of the fine weather, she had some tables placed in the garden, were people could sit and drink while enjoying the night. Wanting to give a personal touch to the party, she called their friend Kiba up, asking him if he would mix for them tonight. He was one of Konoha's most famous DJ's and his music would definitely be the highlight of the party. Agreeing immediately, he had his decks delivered only a couple of hours after.

As Sakura put the last plates down on the table, everything was set. Their guests would be arriving soon and all they needed to do now was sit and wait. She was already dressed for the occasion, in some tight dark jeans and a dark blue one-strapped shirt which left her right shoulder bare. The dark colors only served to highlight her hair even more.

Overlooking the preparations one last time, Sakura nodded her head, satisfied with the results. Sitting down next to Naruto on the couch, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, not seeing the mischievous grin her friend was throwing her way.

The foxboy had been waiting all day for this moment. After the tournament, they'd all agreed on Sakura leaving in Naruto's company, so he would be watching over her at the same time she made the planning for the party. Gaara hadn't been so sure, wanting to go back to his bodyguard duties, but the pink haired girl had insisted. Now, after a whole day of wanting to ask her but not being able to, Naruto was ready for his interrogation.

"Sakura-chan?" he asked in a low tone.

"Nani?" she replied, her eyes still closed.

"What do you think of Gaara?"

Cheeks turning slightly red at the unexpected question, Sakura decided not to delve too deeply into it.

"Well, I think he's an amazing professional. He's really good at what he does. I will be ever in his debt for all he's done for me."

"No, no," the blond said, impatience in his tone. "What do you _really_ think of him?"

Face now turning a deeper shade of red, Sakura knew her friend would not let her go until she gave him a proper answer.

_So, what do you really think about him?_ Inner Sakura prompted, wanting to hear the answer herself.

A picture of Gaara's face entered her mind then, as it was wont to do. She contemplated his handsome features, his serious expression… the way his eyes would change into a lighter or darker colour depending on his mood. Even though he had to be with her almost every minute of the day, he would never resent it and was always more than willing to help her with anything she might need. At first, she had thought it was part of his job description, but then Sakura had realized he had no reason to be so helpful. Even though his demeanour wasn't the friendliest, she had learned to see beyond that.

Naruto leaned closer, waving his hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention. She effectively snapped back to awareness.

"Well?" he asked.

Sighing out deeply, Sakura proceeded to say aloud the things she didn't want to admit. "I really like him. It was very hard to get along with him at the beginning, but I think we managed to get through that. I've actually come to realize that I like his company, the thought of knowing he will be there with me has grown on me. Although he doesn't seem like it, he's a really reliable person."

_And the fact that he's got these huge muscles and an amazing behind only adds to his positive traits, _Inner Sakura interrupted, bringing images of a half naked Gaara along with her.

With a guilty look crossing her face, Sakura decided to keep talking to avoid any further questions. "I know he's had a difficult past, but haven't we all? I can't judge his behaviour without knowing what truly happened, and from what you've both hinted, it wasn't very pretty. I don't want to ask him about it 'cause I know he'll let me know when he's ready and the least I can do is respect his space. He's done the same for me. He's never asked me once about Sasuke, even though we've openly discussed him in his presence."

At the mention of the name, Naruto's eyes hardened, but the look was gone in a few seconds.

"Is he boyfriend material?" he asked, going straight to the point, much to Sakura's exasperation.

"I don't know!" she blurted out nervously. "I…" she started to say, but her mind was suddenly flooded with all the daydreams she'd been having in recent days, where she would come home at the end of the day just to fall into Gaara's arms… or have quiet dinners together… or they would take vacations together, going to a beachside resort and have all the fun in the world in each other's company.

_Ooh yes, Gaara in swimming trunks, I particularly like that one._ Inner Sakura made herself known again.

Seeing Sakura's face turn an amazingly dark shade of crimson as she thought things over in her head, Naruto jumped to all the wrong conclusions.

"Sakura, have you been sleeping with him?" he asked loudly.

"NOO!" she replied immediately, _but I want to_, Inner Sakura finished for her.

Silencing her inner voice in anger, she turned to face her friend fully.

"Listen Naruto, I know what you're saying. Gaara and I have grown close, but I really don't know if it goes beyond friendship. I can't really say I don't want it to, but it's really difficult for me. Every time I try to think how things will be if we give it a try, I'm paralyzed with doubts and fears… It's not easy for me."

Knowing everything she had gone through and having experienced it first hand with her, Naruto more than understood. "I know Sakura-chan, I know… But just remember that your relationship with Sasuke doesn't need to affect any other relationships you might have… And if Gaara ever dares to break your heart, I'll definitely kick his ass!" he finished, fisting his hand in front of his face.

"Thank you, Naruto," Sakura said softly, embracing him. She was lucky to have such a friend.

'What are you so afraid of?' she asked herself once they both grew quiet. Thinking it over sincerely, she knew she did not have a valid answer to that question. Now that Naruto had stirred her feelings towards her bodyguard, she knew she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about him during the whole night.

The doorbell rang and Naruto jumped up to answer. Thinking it might be Gaara and his siblings, who the blond had invited fervently, Sakura's heart started beating faster. But once the foxboy came in with his guests, she was relieved to see it was Tenten, Neji and Lee. She knew she would have to face the red head eventually, but she preferred for it to be later than sooner.

Helping Neji, who had a bandaged shoulder, to his seat, Sakura gave them her most charming smile and assumed her role as hostess once more. She offered the newly arrived visitors some drinks. They readily agreed and Lee volunteered to help her bring them. Sighing as she walked up to the table which would serve as a bar, she pushed any thoughts of her bodyguard to the back of her mind and hoped they managed to stay there.

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The music was pumping loudly by the time Kankurou, Gaara and Temari made their way through the door. As they came in, they saw a large group of people assembled everywhere, from Naruto's living room to the back porch to the back garden. Not knowing who most of these people were or who had invited them, Gaara stood in the doorway, flanked by his siblings, as he tried to find a familiar face among the crowd.

He spotted Hinata making her way into the living room, followed by a bouncing Naruto. His friend saw him immediately.

"OI! There's the champ! He's finally here!" he exclaimed, running over to the door to pat the red head on the back. As he came near, Gaara could tell he'd been drinking, since his movements weren't as sharp as they usually were. Sneering at Naruto's poor alcohol resistance, he knew he couldn't have had more than 3 drinks.

Everyone who was near enough to hear raised their glasses in salute, complementing Gaara for his fighting skills, throwing praises his way. Not caring about what these strangers thought about him, he stepped forward, making his way into the crowd. He found what he was looking for in less than 2 minutes.

She had her back to towards him, a drink in her hand. Sitting in a corner of the living room upon a small couch, he saw she was immersed in a deep discussion, talking excitedly about something. Much to his surprise, she was sharing this thrilling debate with none other than Rock Lee.

Gaara's blood began to boil.

The 'Green Beast' was looking at her intently, his eyes concentrating on her face, paying close attention to every word she was saying. Adoration would have been a better word to describe it. Contemplating visions of battering Lee's skull with his fist, Gaara tried to calm himself but wasn't very successful.

For the second time that day, Sakura felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end… but this time, it was more a thrill of anticipation than a chill of fear going up her spine.

Turning around slowly, she already knew who would be standing there, but the knowledge didn't help to diminish her reaction once she saw him. Her heart pumped loudly in her ears as her eyes met his across the room.

There he was, with a black shirt, its long sleeves folded above his elbows and unbuttoned at near his neck. He was wearing some baggy jeans and heavy leather boots with a black leather band tied around his right wrist, giving him a cool but casual look which made her mouth water. Absentmindedly excusing herself from Lee, she stood up and made her way towards him.

Forgetting about his murdering impulses completely, Gaara concentrated only on her figure, making its way gracefully towards him. He reminded himself of his purpose this evening as his eyes reflected his eagerness.

"Hello," Sakura said simply, as she stopped a hair's breadth away from him.

"Good evening," he replied cordially. They spoke little, but their eyes readily betrayed their intentions.

Bringing her glass to her lips, Sakura didn't break eye contact as she finished her drink.

"I see you're done with that," he said casually, taking the glass from her. "What can I get you?"

She didn't know if it was the alcohol starting to run through her veins which caused him to appear so openly flirty towards her, but at the moment, she couldn't care less.

"Cranberry vodka, please", she replied without missing a beat.

"I'll be back in a second," he said nodding towards her, as he disappeared into the crowd.

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"Sakura, you _must_ tell me what you do to your hair," Temari was saying, as she stirred her rum and coke.

They were sitting at one of the outside tables, Gaara, Temari, Hinata, Naruto, Sakura and Kankurou. Kiba was blasting everyone's eardrums with a genial trance remix.

"I told you sister, she doesn't so anything to it," Gaara said grumpily, taking a sip of his whiskey. Turning to Sakura, he continued to explain. "Temari owns a hair salon, so she's always trying to get a hold of the best and most extravagant dying techniques."

"Oh, I see," Sakura said, "but I'm afraid Gaara's right, I don't do anything to my hair, Temari. It's always been… well… naturally pink."

Kankurou gave a small chuckle at the statement, knowing no one in the entire world could probably make such an affirmation.

"It's a genetic miracle," Temari exclaimed, shaking her head. "But either way, you need to give me a sample of your hair to see if I can match that cherry tone. I'll tell you what, the next time you need a haircut, come over to my place and I'll give you one for free."

"Agreed!" Sakura replied with a smile. She admitted she had been intimated by Temari at first, but after they had a chance to talk, the blond was actually really nice. She had a rough manner about her and a tough personality, but she was a good person. 'I guess you _would_ need to be very tough to pull off being Gaara's sister,' Sakura thought, eyeing the red head sitting next to her.

He looked back at her, an intense look in his eyes. Their eyes had been meeting all evening, each one trying to catch the other unaware but failing to do so. The gazes they shared were fiery, to say the least, and every time she caught him staring, Sakura felt butterflies flying freely through her stomach. Staying by her side throughout the whole evening, Gaara had also managed to keep his and Sakura's drink full, being even more attentive than he usually was.

Now, as they were looking at each other once more, the pink haired girl smiled charmingly at him, holding his gaze for as long as she could.

In an act of boldness, Gaara reached over and caressed Sakura's arm lightly. Despite the soft touch, the feel of his fingers sent waves of sensation across her skin.

Trying to control her breathing, Sakura wasn't sure of what she should do. This was open physical contact they were having here… she didn't know if she was ready for this! Taking her glass with her other hand, she took a long, deep drink. The world was starting to spin as she put it back down on the table.

Noticing her nervousness out of the corner of his eye, Gaara smiled wickedly, thoroughly enjoying the effect he had on her.

"Ooh, I like this song," Hinata exclaimed in an unusually loud manner.

"Let's go dance!" Sakura told her, standing up, forcing Gaara to remove his hand.

"Let's!" Temari said as well, standing up and heading towards the dance floor with them.

Somewhat annoyed at Sakura's sudden escape, Gaara frowned slightly as he saw her retreating form. Knowing he'd have better opportunities, and if he didn't have them he'd create them, he decided not to make a big deal out of it. He turned towards the table only to see a mischievous grin adorning Naruto's face.

"What?" the red head asked coldly.

"I know what you're up to, carrot top," Naruto replied.

"Do you?" Gaara replied with a sneer.

"Yes," the blond said firmly. "And there's only one way we can settle this… I challenge you to a drinking contest!"

Laughing mockingly at such an absurd dare, Gaara agreed on the spot, knowing very well who would be the only one standing at the end of this challenge.

"Who said anything about a drinking contest?" Lee asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Nooo", Neji grumbled from a nearby table, rolling his eyes. The last thing he wanted was a drunk 'Green Beast' on his hands.

"You're on, Fuzzy Eyebrows!" Naruto said, motioning for Lee to take a seat next to him. "Together we'll kick Sabaku's ass!"

"Hai!" Lee replied excitedly. "But what are we drinking?"

"TEQUILA!" Naruto exclaimed happily.

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Feeling the music thrum through every inch of their body, the girls danced the time away. Kiba shouted encouragement from his deck, playing any petitions they might have right away. Much to Hinata's amazement, Tenten joined them on the dance floor, a wide smile on her face.

Every so often, Shino would pass by with a tray full of small shots. Sakura wasn't sure what the drinks were made with, a strange mixture of vodka, rum and Malibu probably, but they tasted great. Each girl would serve herself to a couple of shots whenever 'Kamakiri' went by. It was no surprise when the world started to spin faster in front of Sakura's eyes.

They kept dancing until their feet couldn't take it anymore. Making their way somewhat wobbly back to the table, they stopped in their tracks upon the sight which greeted them.

Naruto's head rested on the table over his folded arms, his eyes half closed in a dazed expression. An empty Tequila bottle sat a few inches away form his hands. Gaara leaned back on his chair with his head thrown back, an evil smile upon his face. He was breathing quickly however, as if trying to reject what his senses were telling him. But the one who commanded everyone's attention was none other than Rock Lee, who was now jumping up and down, gracing his spectators with amazing shidokan combos, knocking tables and chairs down in the process. Neji, who was now sitting at the table as well, looked up towards the girls as they approached.

"And the winner of this drinking contest is, yet again…" he said, sarcasm dripping with every word, "Sabaku no Gaara!"

Tenten snorted, trying to hide a chuckle. She was unsuccessful however, as laughing spasms rippled through her stomach. The other girls joined in after a few moments, prompted by Lee's ridiculous antics.

"Someone should stop him," Sakura said, giggling. "He's bound to hurt someone if he keeps this up."

"Don't worry," replied Tenten, "it doesn't last too long. He'll run out of energy soon enough and will plop down to sleep somewhere."

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata was saying, trying to coax a reaction out of the blond. "Are you alright?"

"Hinata! It's you!" the foxboy replied as he smiled widely, his words slurring out of his lips.

Even though she knew he was drunk, Hinata blushed at the comment. "I think we need to get you inside," she said, as she started to lift Naruto from his chair.

"Great idea," the blond replied, trying to stand up without succeeding. After a few tries, he was finally, if unsteadily, on his feet.

Alcohol pumping through her own veins, Sakura approached Gaara, who was looking up at the dark sky, trying to force the stars to stop moving.

"So, you're the winner, eh?" she asked teasingly.

"Yes I am," he said. "I always am."

"Really?"

"Yes", he stated simply. "I always win in the end."

Sakura chuckled unbelievably before speaking. "Do you?"

In answer, he turned to look directly at her, engulfing her eyes with his intense jade gaze. The obvious want and desire in his stare hit her almost like a physical blow.

Her breath caught in her throat as a tingling sensation made its way down to her toes. Lips parting in her version of his wicked smile, her swirling brain bade her to speak.

"How about we go inside for a bit?" she asked, her innocent tone completely at odds with the mischievous look in her eyes.

The invitation was all he needed.

Standing far too gracefully and quickly for the intoxicated state he was supposed to be in, Gaara stepped up to Sakura, taking her hand in his as he fell into step behind Naruto and Hinata who were making their way into the house.

Caught unaware by the warm sensation of his fingers interlaced with hers, Sakura couldn't help but stare at their joined hands. The array of sensations Gaara's single touch was provoking in her body was utterly amazing.

"Let's go upstairs to my TV room," Naruto said as they passed by the people gathered in the living room.

Following the blond, the other three made their way upstairs. Going into a large room, Naruto turned on the dim lights. There were some low couches, with pillows pilled on top of them, arranged around a large television. Making his way towards one of them, the inebriated foxboy plopped down on top of the cushions. Hinata joined him a moment later.

Sakura and Gaara took a seat on the couch in front of them. Amazed at how low and comfortable the sofas were, the pink haired girl leaned back lazily. It was almost like laying down on the floor. Abruptly, she realized Gaara was leaning back as well, looking at her intently. She held his gaze firmly, reaching out to grab his hand once more.

"Uhh, my head," Naruto groaned, interrupting the quiet moment his friends were sharing. "It won't stop spinning."

"Sit down and rest, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied, leaning towards him.

The foxboy suddenly reached out for her and embraced her awkwardly. "Hinata, has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"

The shy girl's face turned a fiery red as the room was engulfed in complete silence. Across from them, Sakura sat up suddenly at his words, staring at her two best friends in amazement, a wide smile on her face.

"N-naruto-kun?" Hinata squeaked. Naruto's answer came in the form of a dazed grin.

But his smile was suddenly washed away by an intense wave of nausea, as his stomach started swirling.

"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick!" he said, letting go of Hinata abruptly. He jumped up from the couch, his hand on his mouth as he dashed at full speed towards the bathroom.

Sakura laughed loudly as Hinata followed worriedly on his heels. Talk about ruining a romantic moment! Trust Naruto to have _no _tact whatsoever.

"At least he finally said it," Gaara declared grinning.

Sakura turned to look at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"He's been fretting over how to tell her for days," he explained.

Amazement crossed her features as she realized Hinata and Naruto's relationship was far from one sided. She'd always known Naruto liked the black haired girl, but she hadn't thought his feelings went beyond friendship. It was great to see that Hinata's affections were returned.

But her ease was interrupted when she became aware of her predicament… she was now alone with Gaara.

The world started spinning suddenly once more.

Sakura closed her eyes as she leaned back on the couch, trying to regain her bearings and to calm the anticipation she was beginning to feel. She heard him shift beside her and when she reopened her eyes, he was laying on his side, looking intently at her with those overpowering orbs.

"What?" she asked defensively, his scrutinizing stare was making her edgy.

He looked at her, taking in every breathtaking detail… how her eyes shone with pride, how her hair fell over her cheek, how her eyebrows creased in mild irritation. Her face was set in a defiant expression, clear evidence of her fiery personality. He sneered at her before answering.

"I never thought there were rich girls like you out there in the world."

"And what do you mean by _that_?" she asked, her temper beginning to rise.

"All rich girls are self-important, uptight and stupid; they were never forced to use their brain in their entire life," he said.

"Why you…" Sakura started to say angrily.

"But you're nothing like that…" he continued to say, not paying attention to her protests, "you're completely the opposite. You care about other people, you worry about them. You're open to other people's opinions and don't reject their views even if they are different from what you think. That's why your business is so successful. Not only that, but you're one of the smartest people I've ever met. You could run mental circles around anyone."

Gaara didn't know why he was saying all this… it was definitely not part of his plan and his words surprised him as much as they did her. His inebriated state seemed to loosen his tongue, but deep down inside, he was glad he was telling her this.

Gazing at him with her jaw hanging slightly open, Sakura's heart was threatening to burst. Never in her life would she have thought that such a cold and detached man could say such sweet things about someone else. Smiling at him, she reached over and caressed his hand. "Thanks", she whispered.

He looked down at their hands, feeling her soft caresses through every nerve in his body. He needed to get this over with before his senses drove him mad.

Reaching up to touch his arm, Sakura grew bolder. Not being able to stop herself, she caressed his cheek, his nose, his hair… taking her time as her fingers got to know his skin. Finally, her hand went from his shoulders down to his chest. As it did so, she felt his muscles ripple in response to her touch.

"Ooh," she said quietly.

He grabbed her hand then, pulling her towards him.

She complied at first, biting her lower lip nervously in eagerness. But as his face got closer to hers, as his mouth got closer to hers, a sudden jolt of fear burst through her and images of a leering Sasuke flooded her mind.

Gaara saw the change in her eyes and stopped. He saw fear and hesitation reflected in her gaze, followed by such a hurt look, his heart ached openly for her.

"What is it?" he asked softly, but his tone didn't reflect the anger in his eyes… anger at whoever had done this to her.

"I…I…" she tried to say, but failed to express what she was feeling. It was difficult to repeat all the terrible things which had been said to her… all the terrible things she had, at one point, believed.

As a lump caught in her throat, she realized she couldn't face his eyes… those accusing and angry eyes which seemed to strip her down to her very soul. Standing up abruptly, she pulled her hand away, making her way towards the door.

He didn't let her get that far.

"No you don't," he growled, as he rose to stop her, grabbing her arms firmly. She struggle to get away, but he was just too strong. Lifting her up easily, he pinned her against the wall, his face just inches away.

"Why won't you let me near you?" he said whispered harshly.

Sakura couldn't face him. She lowered her head, her hair covering her face as tears filled her eyes.

Placing a finger under her chin, Gaara lifted her face towards him once more.

"Don't bow your head before anyone," he said fiercely. "Keep your head high no matter what."

Despite his harsh tone, his words filled her with courage and she managed to meet his eyes directly. What she saw reflected in them startled her… she realized his anger wasn't directed at her and that behind his wrath, there was genuine worry.

"I…" she began, but her throat closed in on her. Pulling herself together, she tried again. "I had a very… troubled relationship some time ago."

Eyes narrowing dangerously, Gaara nodded his head and bade her to continue.

"My ex-boyfriend was what you would call… abusive," she said, a single tear running freely down her face.

"He hit you?" Gaara asked, venom in every word.

"No, no, it was never physical," Sakura replied shaking her head. "It was psychological… and in that respect, I think it was worse than if he had abused me physically."

Not sure if he was convinced, Gaara decided not to say anything. He just wanted her to keep talking.

"He would belittle me to no end, even in front of our friends. He would call me useless and told me I was worthless, that I wouldn't be anything if it wasn't for him. He said I wouldn't be able to live without him because in life, I only had him and no one else..."

Sakura stopped for a moment, as an unbidden sob wracked her small frame. Her drink induced brain was sending her visions of memories she had long since buried in the back of her mind.

Gaara's fists were pressed against the wall, his knuckles going white with the tension.

"My parents' death had been really recent, and I was emotionally unstable. In truth, I was emotionally weak and needed someone to lean on. Their death was really hard for me to surpass. And the person I turned to was, well, my boyfriend at the time, which in the end, was the worst decision I could ever have made. He took advantage of my weakened state and used it to dominate me. He would utilize me, using my money sometimes, asking me to buy things he needed or making me do things I didn't want to do. He would say that if I didn't do them, he would leave me and I would end up alone. I should've recognized the blatant lie at the time, I should've turned to my other friends. But I believed everything he said… I believed I was worthless. I believed that without him, I would eventually kill myself.

"And the worst part is that when I came to him when I needed some comfort, when my parents' death would torment me, instead of showing some affection, he would just turn towards me, with those cold eyes of his, and tell me I was annoying."

A heart breaking sob escaped her lips, as the torrent of tears was finally released from her eyes. Gaara reached out, hugging her close, giving her quiet support. Trying to control her weeping, she reminded herself of how she had promised to never cry over this again. Sakura hardened her resolve, finally stopping her tears. She forced the red head to loosen his embrace so she could look at him.

"I finally managed to leave him thanks to Naruto," she continued, a crooked smile on her face. "He'd stopped coming to see us for a while, but decided to come give me a surprise visit one day when we were having a 'fight'… keep in mind that our fights usually consisted in him denigrating me until I asked for forgiveness for being so stupid. He threatened to leave me and I told him I would kill myself if he did. I grabbed a kitchen knife and held it over my wrist. He said he didn't care if I died, that I could go ahead and do it… it wouldn't make any difference to him.

"Naruto walked in then, overhearing what we were saying. He immediately threw himself at my boyfriend, cursing him with all his soul. They fought for a while, but Naruto eventually threw him out… he sent him flying through our living room window. He told him _never_ to come back. I went into shock right about then. Naruto took me to the hospital, were I was placed in the psychiatric wing. I stayed there for about a week. I had to continue therapy for months after, but I was finally starting to stand on my own two feet. It helped me a lot… I think I couldn't have made it through by myself.

"My ex-boyfriend returned around half a year later. He sneaked into my apartment and tried to kidnap me. But I was a stronger person by then and I resisted more than he thought I would. I managed to get away and rushed over to Naruto's. We called the police and they had him arrested. After the trial, he walked out with a restraining order and up until now, he can't come within 100 feet of me."

As she finished, her eyes turned to green steel, hardened against the experiences she had faced, hardened against the hardships she had gone through. With the courage she had gained throughout her life, she looked up, staring directly into Gaara's eyes.

He looked back at her intensely, respect and new found admiration in his eyes. Gaara had known something had happened to her at some point, but he hadn't known it had been this bad…

"Sasuke, right?" he asked disgustingly, suddenly recalling a few conversations Sakura and Naruto had shared.

She nodded her head.

"I remember him," he continued, as if recalling all the times he'd had the opportunity to punch him but hadn't done so. "He used to be at Konoha's Shidokan, during the early years. He left for Sound a while later, some time before Naruto beat some sense into me."

The pink haired girl smiled slightly at the last statement.

"The traitor," Gaara stated simply. "And he not only betrayed Naruto by abandoning the dojo, he betrayed him when he mistreated you so badly."

Glancing away from him for a moment, a look of sadness crossed her eyes. Taking her face in his hands, he forced her to look back at him.

"Sakura," he said keenly, "I would _never_ do anything like that to you, of that you can be certain. What Sasuke did to you was sick, there's no doubt about that. Never in my life would I want to cause you misery."

As the sincerity of what he was saying hit her, Sakura's walls began to crumble. She knew Gaara was far from perfect and that, like every other man she would encounter, he had his flaws. But the important fact was that he _wasn't _Sasuke, he was someone else altogether and the least she could do was to give him a chance… just like Naruto had said.

Finally allowing herself to relax a bit, a giddy smile suddenly crossed her face as she realized she was being held in his strong arms. Standing on tiptoe, she reached up towards him, landing a quick, shy kiss on his lips.

It was like opening a flood gate.

Barely giving her time to lean away from him, he pinned her against the wall again, kissing her without restraint. He'd been waiting to do his all night and the moment had finally come.

His tongue found hers in such a passionate kiss, Sakura thought she would melt from the heat. She tasted the alcohol on his breath, but she couldn't care less… the moment he kissed her was the moment she realized she'd been starving for him.

He explored her mouth fully, dominating the exchange. His hands travelled down her arms and over her stomach, touching her in such sensitive places, thrills of pleasure would run up and down her spine. She didn't stand still however, as she ran her hands over his muscular back, relishing in the soft moans he was eliciting. His travelling hands finally arrived at her hips, where he grasped her firmly. Lifting her up just as easily as he had done before, he forced her to straddle him as he took her back to the couch, never breaking their kiss. Sitting down with Sakura on top of him, he experienced elation as he felt her entire body press down against his. He could feel her every curve, a fact which was arousing him far more than he initially intended. But the moment was too precious to stop now, and his hands made their way down her back finally settling on her well shaped behind. Clasping her tightly, he pushed her down against him even more.

A gasp of delighted surprise escaped her lips as she realized what he was doing. From her position, Sakura could clearly tell he was getting excited. Unexpectedly, she didn't mind the fact so much, but she also knew it wouldn't be nice to go on in Naruto's TV room. Come to think of it, the blond and Hinata could walk through the door at any moment.

Separating herself reluctantly from his lips, Sakura sat up, letting her weight fall on Gaara's hips. A devious smile graced her face, as she looked down at him. The red head was completely enthralled by the vision of this goddess resting on top of him.

Chuckling slightly at him, she ran her index finger down his chest. "You're a bad boy, aren't you?"

"The worst," he confessed, crossing his arms behind his head. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, now that I think of it, you probably had all of this planned, didn't you?"

The evil grin she was learning to love so much spread across his face. "Maybe."

"Why you…" she started to say in mock anger, as she leaned back over him, running the tip of her tongue over his lips softly. But before he could catch her mouth in his, she lifted herself up again.

"Aren't you a little tease?" he growled.

"You have no idea," she replied a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

Before he could reach up and pull her back down, a loud voice was heard in the corridor.

"Urggh, I hate throwing up," a glum Naruto was saying. "I'm sorry you had to see that Hinata."

"Don't worry," the black haired girl replied, "at least you fill better now."

Sakura sat back on the couch just in time, a second before Hinata and Naruto entered the room. "How are you feeling?" she asked, pretending nothing had been happening between her and the worked up red head beside her. Amazingly, her bluff worked.

"I'm better, thanks," the blond replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "How about we go back downstairs for a bit? It is getting late and people should be leaving soon."

Realizing the truth behind the foxboy's statement, Sakura looked up at the DVD's digital clock… it was almost 3am. Time sure flew by when you were having fun.

As they went down the stairs, they found Temari and Kankurou in the living room.

"Your friend Lee's been taken care of," the tattooed man said. "He was taken home by Tenten, who took Neji with her as well."

"Good," replied Naruto. "Fuzzy Eyebrows can be a serious threat when he's drunk."

Everyone else nodded in complete agreement.

"We were just heading out ourselves," Temari said. "Coming, _baby _brother?"

Much to Sakura's mirth, Gaara glared back at his sister, just like a 5 year old trying to deny her statement.

"No," he said eventually. "I'll be escorting Sakura home and will be spending the night there, so don't wait up for me."

"Who says I'm going to?" the blond woman replied mockingly, a knowing smile on her face. "Don't let him boss you around too much, Sakura, he's the worst mood swinger in the world."

Laughing openly, Sakura and Naruto looked back at Gaara, who was basically attempting to seriously murder his sister with his eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't," the pink haired girl assured her, as Temari and Kankurou made their way through the door. "We should get going too," she added when they were gone.

"I'll call you a cab," Naruto offered, as he made his way towards the kitchen, Hinata in tow. They'd been inseparable all night.

When they were gone, Gaara took the opportunity to quickly embrace Sakura once more.

"If you stay over at my house, people are going to think you're sleeping with me," she whispered in his ear.

A feral smile graced his lips as he turned to answer her.

"Why don't we prove them right?"

* * *

HAHA! I just know that last line is going to kill you all! (jumps in glee).

Ladies and gentlemen, please leave your reviews before you leave… your comments are greatly appreciated!

I'll be back as soon as I can!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: YAY! I'm back! I really apologize about the HUGE delay in the posting of this next chapter, but, I'm going to be honest… I suffered the worst case of writer's block in the history of the world! I knew were I wanted to go with this story, the problem was I didn't know _how_ to get there…hehe. But in a moment of enlightment while I was eating a blueberry cheesecake it all suddenly became very clear! Hehe! Thank God for dessert:)

I want to thank all my reviewers who stuck to this story through the long months of my absence. You have no idea how much your reviews encouraged me through my writer's block.

Also, to answer **kinokokichigai**'s question, which by the way, plagued my mind for days thinking that you reader's were imagining Gaara the wrong way. I would have to say that Gaara's physical figure in this fic would be option b, a little more built than when he's Kazekage. He is FAR from being a body builder, but keep in mind that his muscles are _very_ well defined. :)

Just another small note and I'll shut up… I warn you that this chapter might have what would seem some "obvious plot development", so please bare with me. All I can tell you is that this is going to have a _very_ big twist (jumps around in glee), so stick around and you'll see:)

Now on with the show!

* * *

**Chapter ****8 - Answers**

As consciousness slowly crawled its way towards her, Sakura became blissfully aware of the warmth radiating from under her cheek. Smiling, she sighed softly, allowing herself a few more moments of rest before opening her eyes slowly.

The sight of Gaara's bare stomach greeted her hazy gaze, as she realized she was using his chest as a pillow. Suddenly, memories from the night before flooded her mind and her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

Gaara had barely given her time to close her apartment door before pinning her against the wall, his mouth ravishing her lips. Sakura's arms had instinctively clung to his neck as he lifted her up, forcing her to wrap her legs around his torso. In a daze, Sakura remembered how he had carried her to her bedroom, never once breaking their kiss.

After that, clothes flew, fingers explored, mouths kissed… and groans of pleasure echoed across the room as both of them discovered each other's body in the most intimate way.

Sakura could only describe their love making as _breathtaking_… he knew exactly where to touch and _how_ to touch, making her body experience sensations she didn't know she was capable of feeling. To say that Gaara was a great lover would be a complete understatement. Knowing that the fact that she hadn't slept with a man in what seemed millennia helped to escalate the experience, she also knew Gaara had redefined her concept of good sex.

And she knew she hadn't been that bad either.

Memories of his pleading moans and passionate whispers brought a mischievous smile to her face, as she proceeded to admire the muscles of his abdomen, losing herself in the rhythm of his breathing. Realizing both of them had wanted this for some time, Sakura was happy it had finally happened. The alcohol in their veins last night had probably accelerated the process, but in truth, she didn't regret anything they had done or said… nothing could compare to the feeling of waking up in his arms.

As thoughts of the large amount of drinks she had consumed crossed her mind, Sakura became instantly aware of the pounding headache starting to thrum at her temples.

She groaned slightly, knowing she'd probably have to fight the hangover for the rest of the day. Preferring to retaliate against the pain before it got worse, Sakura reluctantly sat up. She was about to slip off the bed when the sight of Gaara's face caught her attention.

The expression of comfort and satisfaction on his features was stunning, as was the slight smile gracing his lips. He looked completely at ease, something Sakura had never seen before. No matter what situation he found himself in, there was always a tension surrounding Gaara, as if he were always ready to spring into action. He would never allow himself to relax, especially during his bodyguard duties. But now, the stress lines which usually adorned his forehead were gone, leaving a handsome and calm young man asleep on Sakura's bed.

Smiling widely at this new aspect of his, the pink haired girl slipped carefully off the bed, not wanting to disturb his peaceful slumber. As her naked body left the sheets, a chill ran up her skin when it made contact with the cold air. She made her way hurriedly towards her bathroom, intent on getting some painkillers. As she opened the small cabinet next to her mirror, Sakura caught a hold of her reflection, stopping her movement suddenly as her mouth hung slightly open.

There, on her left shoulder and on her tummy, she found the marks of Gaara's teeth…

'Why you little…' she thought, as she massaged the bruised spots. She creased her eyebrows in annoyance, but deep down inside, she didn't mind so much. If he was going to mark her as his, then maybe she should return the gesture! Smiling wickedly at the thought of leaving some love bites on him while he slept soundly, Sakura found the pills and swallowed two at a time. After brushing her teeth, she took her bathrobe from behind the door, slipping it on before stepping back into the room.

The loss of warmth at his side slowly forced Gaara from sleep. He'd vaguely sensed Sakura as she rose from the bed, but now, as the spot where she'd been sleeping grew cold, his eyes opened and his forehead creased in irritation. Where was she?

The sounds from the bathroom revealed her presence and he was glad she hadn't gotten far. As his memory returned gradually, he stretched leisurely on the bed, a wide grin on his face. Making love to her had been amazing… it had, by far, exceeded his expectations. Erroneously thinking that Sakura would be shy and meek due to her past experiences, he was wonderfully surprised to find she was as fiery in bed as she was in everyday life. In truth, his body hadn't been able to get its fill of her yet and even now, he was anxious to get her back into bed.

Rolling on his side, he propped up on his elbow, resting his head on his hand as he faced the bathroom door.

As she arranged her robe, Sakura walked back out into the room. Her steps halted however, as she caught the breathtaking sight of the muscular man lying on her bed. His green eyes bore down on her and the lustful expression in his eyes made her bite her lower lip in anticipation. As he looked her over, she noticed a look of annoyance on his face.

"Why did you put that robe on?" he asked irritably. _Boy, aren't you moody in the mornings!_, Inner Sakura countered.

"I got cold when I got out of bed," Sakura replied smugly, silently agreeing with her inner voice.

"Then you shouldn't have gotten out of bed in the first place," he retorted, as if stating the obvious.

"For your information, I have a really bad headache which needed immediate medication," she said, rubbing her right temple. "And it is all thanks to you, since you're the one who slipped me all those drinks last night."

"Oh really?" he asked in an unconvinced voice. "I may have slipped the drinks but you're the one who drank them… and quite fast I might add."

Sticking out her tongue at him, she made her way around the bed, sitting down on the side she had slept in. As she leaned back against the bedstead, she closed her eyes, trying to calm the thrumming in her head.

"Is it bad?" Gaara asked. Rolling around to face her, he caressed the exposed skin of her leg softly.

Sakura nodded in response. "Yeah. It's going to be a _very_ bad hangover."

"Come here," Gaara said, reaching towards her. He sat up on the bedstead, resting Sakura's head on his stomach as he proceeded to massage the back of her neck.

"Ooohh," the pink haired girl exclaimed, "that feels good…"

Amazingly, after a few minutes of his attentive massage, her headache was receding.

"Thanks," Sakura said, but didn't lift from her position, relishing in the attention his nimble fingers were giving her. As he continued with his rubbing, she admired his stomach, tracing a finger along the lines of his muscles. Inevitably, she reached a deep scar near his bellybutton. It was thick and around 2 inches long… examining it with her medical eye, Sakura surmised it had been made with some sort of stabbing weapon.

"How did you get this?" she asked quietly.

The movement of his fingers stopped immediately.

Sakura tensed, cursing her big mouth.

Closing his eyes and sighing deeply, Gaara realized it was time to come clean with her. If he was going to let Sakura have his heart, he knew he must first lay it bare before her, acknowledging what he had been and revealing the life he had led for many years.

Having come to terms with his own past a very long time ago, he knew this wasn't the issue. The experiences he had lived weren't what you would call 'pleasant' and most of them were the essence of some people's nightmares. Knowing most would find the truth too appalling to face, he had decided to keep his past to himself and had shared his experiences with a chosen few. Now, he was here, before the woman he wanted to share his life with and the time had come to let her know _everything_.

After all she had told him last night, it was the least he could do for her.

Taking her hand in his, he took it to his lips and kissed it lovingly, but didn't sugar coat the truth when he spoke.

"My father gave me that wound with a stabbing knife during one of his drug induced frenzies. I'd started fighting at night about 2 weeks before it happened. Seemingly he didn't like me coming home at 3 in the morning on a school night."

The venomous sarcasm in his voice did nothing to diminish the reaction of pure shock covering Sakura's face.

She went completely still, as if trying to fight the meaning of the words he was telling her. In her way of thinking, she couldn't possibly ever comprehend why a parent would strike out to hurt their child, no matter what the circumstances were. Fighting the raging emotions of anger which wanted to surface, she only managed to utter a single word in a very harsh whisper…

"_WHAT?"_

Sighing in defeat, the red head proceeded to explain. "My father was a drug addict, Sakura, and he would usually mix in alcohol with it, becoming very violent. I guess you could say I inherited my aggressive nature from his side of the family." He chuckled mirthlessly at the statement.

But Sakura was in no mood to joke around, and considering the topic they were discussing, Gaara couldn't blame her. He could see the intense look in her eyes, anger similar to that he had experienced himself for years.

"We lived, the four of us, in a shabby, run-down apartment in the ugliest part of the city," he continued reluctantly. It wasn't easy to talk about all these experiences, but he needed her to know the truth. "I shared a single bedroom with Temari and Kankurou. As you know, my mother died giving birth to me. My father's addiction got worse after that, and he made it a point to remind me of it whenever he had the chance. During all my childhood, I was blamed for my mother's death and I was the cause of my father's misery."

Losing his voice for a moment as memories of those wretched years came back to him, Gaara sat up abruptly, lowering his face.

Not caring if she was able to swallow all the information he was suddenly giving her, Sakura's only need was to wrap her arms around him and to offer him all the comfort she could. The pain in his voice expressed more anguish than anyone should ever experience in a lifetime. Acting on her instincts, she moved to sit behind him, wrapping him in her arms as she forced him to lean back. Resting her back against the bedstead, she caressed his hair lovingly as he spoke, his head resting on her chest. She didn't know why he had chosen to tell her all this now, but the least she could do for him was to listen.

"Temari was the one who brought be up, even though she was only 6 years old when I was born. She was the one who took care of me. My father was fired from his job, so we didn't have any money, and the small amount we had went to feed his addictions. Temari was forced to take on a part time job by the time she was 9; Kankurou also worked random jobs. I was only 3 years old, so I wasn't aware of the extremes we were living, but I new there was something wrong. I could feel it in my soul. The sadness and desperation in my sister's eyes is something I will never forget to this day."

Sakura held him tightly, not believing the torture he had been forced to live through. No child should ever be forced to grow up like that…

Encouraged by the comforting gestures she was offering, Gaara plunged once more into his tale.

"I went to school thanks to my sister, who pushed me to learn. She forced me and my brother through, even though she didn't get to finish high school herself. I admit I was quite the troublemaker and would burst into violent tantrums whenever something frustrated me. A day wouldn't go by without me getting into a fight. With hindsight, I realize I was venting the anger I experienced at home using other people, but I also know that if I hadn't found a way to express it, I would've gone completely mad.

"When I was around 10, I picked a fight with a much older boy. Much to his gang's surprise, I managed to beat him. That very afternoon, a tall man approached me and asked me if I was interested in making some money out of fighting. I threatened to break his nose if he didn't leave me alone but he just laughed at me. He said he liked my spirit. He told me he would be around the neighborhood the next day and if I was interested, I could look for him. After my anger subsided, I actually put some thought on the offer. As I slept on my thin mattress on the floor that night and saw my siblings asleep beside me, I knew I couldn't pass the chance for us to have some extra income. Temari had been forced to drop school so she could work full time, but the salary she was making was barely enough to feed all of us.

"I went looking for the man the next day and that's how I started with the bare knuckle fights.

"I won't go into any details, since I know you're aware of how gruesome the fights can be, but I can only say that those fights saved our lives. I didn't tell Temari what I was doing, but she knew I was up to something. She stayed up waiting for me after my third fight and gave me the worst scolding I have received in my life. Her shouts were silenced however, when I placed the large amount of cash I had earned that night on the table. I explained what I had been doing and I couldn't help but beam proudly at her, overjoyed with the money I had been able to bring back.

"After I finished talking, she burst into tears and she embraced me tightly. To this day, I don't know if she was crying in joy because she now had money to buy food or if she was crying in pain for what life was forcing me to do to survive. I think it was a bit of both, really.

He went quiet for a moment, as if giving her time to take in what he was saying. Holding on to him tightly, Sakura found herself in a daze, as she imagined a much younger version of him, bloodied and battered, bringing his earnings home for his siblings. The images going through her mind were nothing less than heart breaking.

"After that, she would stay up every _fight night_, as we used to call it and would make sure my injuries received proper treatment before I went to bed. Kankourou would stay up as well, but most of the time, he would go with me. It was actually kind of comforting to know there was actually somebody there whenever I had a difficult match.

"I sometimes fought kids close to my age, but more often than not, I fought with much older boys. There was usually a 6 year gap between us, but I still managed to win. I guess the raw need of knowing you need the money so your brother and sister can eat will push you to surprising limits. I…"

Stopping suddenly as he felt something wet fall on his shoulder, he twisted around to face the pink haired girl. As he looked at her, he saw tears running freely down her cheeks.

Cursing herself for being so emotionally weak, Sakura tried to sober up. This was about him, damn it! _She_ was supposed to comfort _him_! She shouldn't be crying like a baby over the things he'd experienced… she should be offering support. But deep inside, she just couldn't help but _feel_ for him. The injustice he'd lived through was just too much, and her heart was aching openly for him.

Cleansing her tears softly with the tips of his fingers, Gaara embraced her tightly. As he took her in his arms, he lay down with her, their foreheads touching as they tried to draw strength from one another.

"Sakura, I know this is difficult, but please bear with me," he said. "I need to tell you all this."

The honesty in his voice made her harden her resolve… she promised herself she would be strong for him. He _needed_ her to be strong.

"It happened at the beginning, when I was starting to fight. I came home late one night to find my father waiting for me and not Temari. I silently thanked my luck, for Kankurou hadn't been able to go with me that night; I didn't want to get him in trouble too. As soon as I saw him sitting on the table, I knew he was drugged.

"I won't tell you all the terrible things he said to me, I'll spare you the discomfort. All I can say is that he belittled me to no end and made me feel as if I wasn't worth _anything._ I was looking at the floor, trying to control myself when I heard him move. As I looked up, I saw him lunge himself at me, knife in hand. He'd never attacked me directly before, so I wasn't prepared. Before I knew it, he'd stabbed me. I didn't move for a moment… he was my father after all and some instinct deep inside told me I shouldn't hurt him. But the realization of what he had done hit me suddenly and that instinct was drowned in a wave of anger so intense, I lost any conscious thought of what I was doing.

"By the time my awareness returned, my father lay on the floor at my feet, his nose broken. After a few silent moments, he lifted himself up and ran out the door, going to look for some alcohol to relieve the pain, no doubt. Temari was next to me, looking me over. The moment she saw my wound, she brought the medical kit we'd bought for my fights from the bathroom. She sat me down on the kitchen table and proceeded to examine me herself."

"_What_?" Sakura cried in outrage. "Gaara, you needed immediate medical attention! He could've punctured your stomach! Not to mention the infection that could have…"

"I know, I know," he interrupted, somewhat irritated. "And we did. Temari cleaned up the wound the best she could, but in the end it was too deep for her to do anything. She bandaged it up as best as she could and we rushed over to the hospital. Kankurou carried me on piggy back into the emergency room. The doctors were used to seeing those types of injuries from street fights, so they mended me up in no time. I was lucky, since he didn't hit any 'vital organs', as they said. I just received a few stitches and my father never dared to touch me or my siblings again."

He finally went quiet, not looking at her directly, as if waiting for her verdict.

Sighing as she gathered her strength, Sakura lifted his face to her. Her eyes were still red from the tears she'd shed, but determination and resolve shone from their depths. Kissing him lightly on the lips, she tried to express all her love.

"Gaara, I had no idea of what you had gone through…" she started to say.

He tried to interrupt, but she didn't let him, kissing him again.

"What you've lived through is terrible and will mark you for life. But that doesn't mean I'm going to judge you for who you were or what you did. I know that the things you experienced were not because you wanted them… life forced you into those circumstances and you acted as best as you possibly could. I know it's hard to accept things, but keep in mind that everything you lived through has made you who you are, and I wouldn't have it any other way… I want the man before me, with his faults and his history."

As she said those last words, she saw amazement flicker through his eyes just before he crushed her in his embrace, burying his face in her neck. She returned the gesture, holding him as if he were a lost child.

Losing himself in the fragrance of her skin, Gaara knew he would never deserve such an amazing woman as the one he was holding. But despite this fact, he knew he would fight with all his soul just to be worthy of her.

Sakura held him for some time, both sharing the accepting silence which descended upon them. There were so many things they both wanted to share, but everything would come in time. However, there was something she'd wanted to know for a while.

"Gaara," she said quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

Reluctantly, he loosened his embrace just enough to face her. Even though he expected the worst, he nodded his head for her to continue.

"How did you leave it?"

His brow creased in puzzlement. "Leave what?"

"The fighting," she stated simply.

"It was thanks to shidokan," he replied without hesitation. "The martial art taught me much, especially when it came to thinking about what I really wanted in life. I realized that the fights I'd been attending for many years left me nothing… they didn't make me a better person. I was a game piece, strategically placed on the board so others would use me for their own devious ends. Shidokan teaches its followers to better themselves through discipline and dedication. The hole into which I had fallen offered nothing of the sort. So I made the conscious decision to climb out of it.

"I won't say it was easy to leave the fights. I was the mafia's favorite, after all, and they weren't about to let me go so easily. They used every possible threat they could against me, but in the end I managed to shrug them off. The fact that they had made me a fighting machine backfired in the end. So, I managed to turn my back on them and walk away."

"And the money?" Sakura asked.

"Cash wasn't a problem by then. My father had been dead for a few years, so we'd managed to save enough. Temari had graduated from beauty school and had opened her own place. Kankurou had just started working in the movie industry. He makes puppet robots for a special effects company; he started with a measly income but he's now the manager of his department. You should see the things he makes… it's as if they're really alive…"

Sakura smiled at the proud tone Gaara used to talk about his siblings. Knowing he would never openly admit it, it was amusing to hear him brag about all the achievements they had accomplished by themselves. It was great to know they had believed in themselves enough to succeed in life.

"That sounds great… I'd love to see his creations some time," she said sweetly.

The red head nodded eagerly but said nothing. As silence fell over them once more, Sakura caressed his hair gently, relishing in the feeling of his crimson locks between her fingers. Moments passed and the two of them immersed themselves in the comfort of the other's presence. But as Sakura's gaze left his hair and travelled down Gaara's body… Gaara's very _naked _body, a blush started spreading across her face.

Attuned as he was to other people's body language, Gaara noticed the change in Sakura even before she did.

"What is it?" he asked, turning to look directly at her. As he did so, the answer to his question became evident, as he noticed the red of her cheeks and the way she diverted her gaze when he looked at her.

Chuckling evilly, he kissed her softly on the lips as he proceeded to get up from the bed. Once he was standing, he stretched lazily, offering the slightly dazed girl on the bed an amazing view of his back muscles… not to mention his very well formed behind. Sakura's mouth was hanging slightly open as he walked up to the curtains and peeked through them, as if to see the day's weather. Without saying anything, he turned to her, a lustful look in his eyes as he disappeared into the bathroom. He was in no way shy about his nakedness and Sakura wished she could be so comfortable in her own skin. As the thought crossed her mind though, she realized he was probably aiming to teach her precisely that.

Knowing she had no way of countering his demands, for she knew she couldn't possibly contend with his intensity and stubbornness, Sakura realized she was probably going to spend the whole day loitering around her apartment with no type of clothing on whatsoever. As she sighed in defeat, she heard the water start running. He wasn't doing what she thought he was doing, was he?

As he came out of the bathroom door, the pink haired girl was greeted with a complete frontal view of the glory of Gaara's nude form. It was one thing to take his clothes off in the darkness, but to be able to admire his body in broad daylight? Now _that_ was a bonus Sakura hadn't thought about. Inner Sakura proceeded to give her a thumbs up as she giggled in glee.

Knowing it wasn't polite to stare, she looked up at his face only to find he was grinning back at her.

"I've started running the water for our bath," Gaara said, "it should be ready in a few minutes."

"Our bath?" Sakura asked. It seemed her brain was still muddled up from her hangover… she seemed to be hearing things.

"Yes," he replied, leaving no room for argument in his tone. "I plan to wash away that headache of yours completely, with a very thorough and very wet massage."

As he spoke, he walked over to the bed like a stalking feline. In a flash of movement, Sakura found herself being pulled to her feet. Immediately, Gaara's lips were on hers, his tongue demanding entrance to her mouth. Knees buckling as passion raced through her body, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her up. As his hands touched and caressed, Sakura's mind barely registered as he untied the knot of her robe and let the garment fall to the floor.

"That's more like it," he growled in her ear before continuing to devour her mouth with his own. Bending down slightly, he picked her up with ease, one arm holding her back tightly and the other under her knees. Without breaking the kiss, Gaara carried his pink haired beauty into the bathroom.

Her senses reeling, Sakura was powerless to do anything as Gaara put her down on the floor and pinned her against the cold tile wall, hands travelling all over her body. Burying one of her hands in his hair, the other caressed the muscles of his upper back, as she kissed him back with equal ardour.

As the steam from the running water filling the tub began to rise, Sakura could do nothing but immerse herself in the flood of sensations running through her skin, driven by the fiery desire of the man in front of her.

Knowing he would surrender himself to her in return, she had no qualms whatsoever in losing herself in the sandstorm of his passion.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

As she held her hot cup of coffee up to her lips, wrapped smugly in her bathrobe, Sakura couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of peace thrum through her being. Staring out of her living room window, she contemplated the large expanse of the city. Even though her eyes were focused on the view before her, her ears were concentrating on the sounds coming from the kitchen.

A wide smile spread across her face as she heard Gaara washing their breakfast dishes. In truth, it had been more like a brunch instead of breakfast, since they had spent the whole morning in her room, not emerging until way past midday. Blushing slightly, Sakura smiled even wider as she lost herself in the memory of the very attentive bath Gaara had giving her. If she wasn't such a controlled person, she was sure she would have been giggling in glee like a little girl. Much to her frustration, Inner Sakura proceeded to do just that.

_Who would have thought he was such a 'homely' man?_ her inner persona remarked after the giggling fit had subsided. Gaara had not let her touch a single dish. No matter how much she tried to convince him to use the dish washer, he'd stated he preferred to handle the washing immediately instead of leaving it for later. Thinking this was some sort of shidokan discipline exercise, Sakura left him to his chores.

Sighing as she took another drink from her cup, her eyes travelled along the green gardens surrounding her apartment building, watching the leaves of the trees rustle with a slight breeze.

It was there, under the shadow of a large maple, that her emerald eyes caught sight of a very familiar figure staring back her.

_Sasuke._

She choked on her coffee and almost dropped her cup. Coughing loudly, Sakura tried to control her breathing, as her heart began to pound loudly inside her chest.

'This can't be happening,' she thought desperately. 'I have to be imagining things.'

"Are you alright?" came a deep male voice from behind her as a gentle hand touched her shoulder.

"I'm ok, I'm ok," Sakura responded a little too quickly, jumping around to face Gaara.

The red head gave her a meaningful look, letting her know that he was thoroughly unconvinced.

"I just choked on my coffee," she said as sheepishly as she could. "I tried to swallow down more than I could. Now, let's move away from the window… let's watch TV!" she finished with mock enthusiasm.

Even though he wasn't buying any of the words she was saying, Gaara allowed himself to be pushed towards the TV couch.

As she followed behind him, Sakura risked a glance out the window. The spot under the maple tree was now empty and there was no sign of Sasuke anywhere.

'Am I going crazy?' Sakura thought frantically.

_NO!_ Inner Sakura answered angrily. _He _was_ there! You saw him clearly. Don't make the mistake of underestimating him again. You can never be too careful when it comes to him._

Nodding resolutely, the pink haired girl decided to follow her own advice. 'I will not be scared witless. That's exactly what he wants me to do.'

As she finished the thought, the phone rang, its piercing sound echoing throughout the quiet apartment.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat as she swallowed, hard.

But before she could do anything, Gaara was already reaching for the cordless phone on top of the coffee table.

"Gaara, DON'T!" she screamed, stretching her hand towards him.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you?" he asked angrily, not sparing her a glance as he picked up the phone with barely contained violence.

"Hello?" he said irritably.

Sakura stopped breathing.

A few agonizing seconds of silence followed.

"Yeah, it's me. Who else would it be, Shikamaru?" Gaara finally said, the irritation not gone from his voice.

Sakura's lungs released a huge breath of air.

"Yes, we'll be here," Gaara was saying. "Alright, see you then."

After he hung up, the red-head turned to face Sakura. "Shikamaru's coming over. He said he's got some very important news."

Nodding slowly, Sakura plopped down on the couch next to Gaara, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

"What's going on?" Gaara asked, grabbing her arm firmly. "You're acting strange."

"Nothing," she replied quietly, throwing herself into his arms. Holding on to him tightly, Sakura tried to draw on his strength. Growling in frustration, Gaara returned the embrace.

"Just hold me," she said quietly.

Caught under the spell of her closeness, Sabaku no Gaara found he could do nothing else but obey her wishes.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"…so, we came to the inevitable conclusion that Orochimaru is behind all this," Shikamaru finished, the tiredness in his voice evident.

"I KNEW IT!" Naruto shouted, as he jumped up from the couch. "That cowardly snake is going to feel the wrath of my fist!" Growling, the blond started pacing up and down the room.

Hinata, who had been sitting beside him, tried to get him to sit back down.

Burying her face in her hands, Sakura rested her elbows on her knees.

Sighing, Shikamaru continued. "He went through great pains to avoid all detection, but our forensic department is the best in the country. We now know for sure that the person who attacked you in the basement of your office building, Sakura, was none other than Tayuya. You said so yourself, she was slimmer and smaller than the second attacker."

"Oh dear, she fought against Tenten yesterday," Hinata remarked.

Shikamaru nodded gravely. "And the one who you fought against Gaara, was none other than Kabuto."

"That's why the bastard didn't fight yesterday!" Naruto yelled, his face red with anger. "He was licking the wounds Gaara gave him! I wish you would've broken more than a rib!"

The red head, who had not uttered a word during the whole conversation, looked at the blond intensely, letting him know he agreed completely with his wishes.

"He hid his fighting style well when he fought you," Shikamaru was saying. "He's actually passed through a lot of dojos before he landed in Sound, so he took advantage of his vast experience to hide his moves."

A charged moment of silence followed, which was broken only by the sound of Sakura's soft voice.

"Why? Why would they do something like this?"

"From the evidence we went through and the places we searched, it seems Orochimaru has been doing some free lance kidnapping work. He's just he middleman. From what we could discern, he's hired by someone and does the dirty work for them. In this particular case, we managed to track the culprit down to a powerful business man, someone you're very familiar with, Sakura: Tanaka Maro."

"What!" Hinata shrieked. "Kami-sama!"

"This can't be happening," Sakura whispered harshly, her face still in her hands.

"Who's that?" Naruto asked, settling down beside Hinata.

"He's been a business partner for years. I met with him only a couple of weeks ago," Sakura replied. "He was a good friend of my father's."

Gaara looked at her, remembering the small plump man who had stepped into Sakura's office. If he'd only known then, he would have snapped the man's throat like a twig.

"The problem is we need more evidence. We can't go knocking on Tanaka's door and arrest him. We need something much more concrete and tangible than what we've found."

"Like a witness?" Naruto asked.

"Like a witness," the tired detective confirmed.

A thoughtful silence fell over them and the gravity of the situation came tumbling down with it.

"I need to get attacked again," Sakura said finally.

"What?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"It's the only way!" she replied angrily. "Don't you see? We need to catch them directly in the act so Shikamaru can arrest them and take them in for interrogation. Only if one of them spills anything will we ever be able to catch Tanaka."

"I hate to say it, but she's absolutely right," Shikamaru agreed. "And even if we do arrest them, it doesn't guarantee that they will say anything."

"I'll make them talk," Gaara said gravely, the wickedness in his voice making Sakura's skin crawl.

"Don't worry," the detective replied with a sly smile. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. Psychological attacks sometimes prove more efficient than physical ones in this type of thing."

"So that's it?" Naruto asked. "We just let Sakura get attacked? That's your plan?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, he does have a point," Gaara said quietly, sighing lightly before continuing. "They will attack together next time, I'm sure of it. I need you to be there when the time comes, Naruto. I won't risk anything happening to Sakura."

"You can definitely count on that," the blond said without hesitation.

"We need a plan," Sakura said, lifting her head up to face everyone in the room, determination shining in her eyes.

"Yes, we do," Shikamaru replied. "We need to set a trap, but it won't be easy. They will want to get this over with the next time they come for you, so they will take every possible precaution. We need to be ready for them."

He went silent all of a sudden, hesitating with what he was about to say. No matter how nicely he tried to say his next words, he knew they would cause havoc, but he had to say them anyway.

"There's something else I need to tell you, something all of you need to be aware of. I know none of you will welcome any further complications to this situation, but I'm afraid it can't be helped."

Turning directly towards Sakura, Shikamaru looked into her eyes as he spoke. "Sasuke is in the city. He was spotted a couple of days ago…"

"**WHAT?** THE BASTARD!" Naruto shouted, jumping once more from the couch and resuming his pacing, his hands fisted tightly at this side.

Gaara went very still, a deadly look crossing his pale green eyes as his lips formed a thin line on his face.

Ignoring both men, Shikamaru kept talking to Sakura. "We don't know what he's doing here or what he might be up to. He broke ties with Orochimaru a long time ago but we can never be too careful. Keep your eyes open."

The pink haired girl turned pale as her suspicions were confirmed, but she wasn't surprised at the news. Now she knew she wasn't going crazy, it had really been _him_ under that tree. Turning towards Hinata, emerald met silver as their eyes crossed in a silent gesture of understanding.

"You don't seem very disturbed with the news," Shikamaru remarked, noticing the quiet exchange between the women.

"Ano, errrm…" Hinata said nervously, looking at Shikamaru. But before she spoke, she turned towards Sakura for confirmation.

Nodding slightly at her friend Sakura sighed loudly, rising from the couch slowly and walking towards the window.

"He was at the tournament yesterday," Hinata said, eyes following the pink haired girl. "We saw him. He was sitting on the stands, watching the fights."

Naruto came to a sudden halt in his pacing but it was Gaara's time to react.

"**WHAT?**" he growled.

"Errm…" Hinata squirmed under the intensity of the red head's gaze. "He was there, but he didn't approach us."

"AND WHEN WERE YOU PLANNING TO LET US KNOW ABOUT THIS?" Naruto screamed, his anger barely in check as he aimed his words at the woman standing by the window.

"I wasn't going to interrupt your fights just because he was sitting there," Sakura said, sighing loudly. "I knew you would lose all concentration on the tournament if you found out. So I stayed quiet. And after the fights, we were all so very excited about your triumph, that well, I simply forgot."

"YOU FORGOT?" the blond exclaimed, his face red with wrath. "YOU FORGOT TO MENTION SUCH AN **INSIGNIFICANT** DETAIL?"

Faced with her friend's sarcasm, Sakura's temper rose to the challenge.

"Yes! I forgot!" she shouted back, her eyes flashing with anger. "What did you want me to do? Jump over the contestants and run towards you like a helpless damsel in distress, shouting 'help, there's a psycho in the stands!' NO! I wasn't about to do that or anything similar. He didn't come near me or make any moves towards me, so if he's willing to leave me alone, I'm more than glad to extend him the same courtesy."

Naruto growled back but didn't say anything, his anger far from extinguished.

Looking out the window at the large maple tree, Sakura knew her words weren't exactly true, but she didn't have much of an option. She needed Naruto to stay focused; he wouldn't be of any help if he went out on a rampage of revenge against Sasuke. And as she turned momentarily towards Gaara, she knew her bodyguard wouldn't think twice about joining the blond. He sat very still, as if trying to control the raging emotions churning through his body. His eyes, however, betrayed his instability, a deadly glare shone from their pale green depths, threatening to destroy anything which dared to cross his path.

"Listen," Sakura said with resignation, "we need to concentrate on the situation at hand. Orochimaru may try to come for me at any moment, so we need to focus on what's important." As she finished, she walked towards the couch and sat down beside Gaara once more.

"You're right," Shikamaru replied. "We need to take care of this first. I'm going to go talk to my team so we can go over different strategies to see what we can do. We're going to have to bait them into attacking, we have no other choice. This will be difficult for you Sakura, but please keep in mind that it's for the best."

"I know, Shikamaru, I know. Don't worry, I've been through worse… I'm a very brave girl," she said, flashing a determined smile towards the detective.

Chuckling softly at her display of courage, the detective stood up to take his leave. "I will call you tomorrow so I can come and brief you. I want all of you to be here, since the plan will most likely involve all of you. See you then."

As Hinata walked him to the door, Naruto sat down. His anger somewhat abated after being reminded of Orochimaru's plans. He needed to be there for his friend, he needed to help her. He needed to postpone his rage for the time being, but when the moment came, Sasuke was going to pay for all he had done.

Looking directly at the eyes of the red head sitting in front of him, Naruto was certain Gaara was thinking the exact same thing.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

As Sakura sat quietly on her bed, she could hear the sounds of movement coming from the small dojo in the next room. Gaara had been practicing for hours, ever since Naruto and Hinata had left, and it seemed he didn't have any intention of stopping.

She knew he was angry… angry beyond anything she had ever seen. Hearing the growls as he sent punches and kicks flying, it didn't a take a genius to figure out who he was fighting in his mind.

This was so very difficult. Weary with the heaviness of the whole situation, the only thing Sakura had wanted to do was to fall into his embrace. She needed comfort, more than she would like to admit, but the source of that comfort was probably about to pass out from over exertion in the next room.

He had every right to be angry, she knew that, but it seemed he had let himself be consumed by his rage and had forgotten everything else, including her.

Curling into a ball on her bed, Sakura hugged a pillow to her chest. It was in moments like this, when she was alone, that the demons in her head would come to taunt her. The fear she would try to push away during the day would come crashing down on her, threatening to swallow her entire being.

It had always been like this in those days… she would lie like this for hours, crying by herself while he watched TV in the living room, ignoring her completely…

"Sasuke," she whispered into the dark, as tears flowed freely from her eyes.

_NO! You will not go there!_ Inner Sakura said in anger. _Don't wallow in self pity! It doesn't have to be like that this time._

Sitting up quickly, Sakura completely agreed with her inner voice. 'It doesn't have to be like this.'

Resolutely, she picked herself up and ran towards the dojo.

As the door burst open, Gaara stopped in mid-spin, facing the door. The anger inside him had threatened to consume him, so he had been trying to abate it through physical activity. It was a strategy which always worked. But much to his frustration, the rage wasn't subsiding this time, as images of a mocking Sasuke would haunt his vision, kindling his wrath even more.

But the sight before him brought his raging emotions to a complete halt.

There she was, standing before him, her hair a ruffled mess and her eyes wet with tears.

_Tears. _She had been crying… she had been crying and he hadn't done anything about it.

His heart constricted at the thought, but before he could do anything, she lunged herself towards him, throwing her arms around his torso.

He caught her in his embrace and held her tightly, as strangled sobs shook her form. With care, he sat both of them down on the dojo floor, cradling her in his lap.

"Sshhh," he whispered, "I'm here… I'm here. Everything will be alright."

Not caring that he was covered in sweat, Sakura buried her face in his chest, tightening her hold on him. He was there with her and he wasn't going anywhere. He would always be there to comfort her… all she needed to do was look for him.

Knowing he had never been good at words, Gaara didn't bother to say anything… he knew it wasn't necessary. He would hold this precious woman in his arms for as long as she needed. She would smile again for him, he knew, but at the moment, he needed to be strong for her.

And as the shidokan fighter held the multimillionaire manager throughout the night, he was too concentrated on her well being to notice that the seething anger he had experienced most of the day, was now gone.

* * *

Alright, there you have it:) I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave you're reviews before you leave! I promise the next instalment will come out a lot sooner than this one did… cross my heart! 


	9. Chapter 9

You weren't expecting this update, were you?

This girl is back in the building! After spending many months labelled as 'missing in action', this story is finally back up on its feet. Therefore, I am proud to announce that my writer's block is officially over, so I'm coming out with a burst of impulse to take on the final stretch of this thing.

To all of you who have stuck with me through all this time, I would like to thank you for your support from the bottom of my writer's heart.

But enough babble since I know you'll be anxious to get on with this. Just a few notes. This story's rating has been officially changed to 'M'… there's going to be some pretty nasty violence in this thing, especially in the next chapter, so don't say I didn't warn you. Also, I obviously plan on writing a 'love scene' between my two heroes… some smut for my fans! Haha.

It was so hard for me to write this, but in the end, it pretty much flowed by itself.

_Que disfruten!_

* * *

**Chapter 9 –** **Actions to be taken**

It was a bad idea. He knew it from the bottom of his soul. He _knew_ they would be getting into trouble.

When Shikamaru had briefed them on the plan, Gaara knew that the probabilities of something going extremely wrong were high. The idea of baiting Sound during the opening of Konoha's newest and flashiest club could only be the design of a madman and it hit the red head in the face like a splash of ice cold water.

As it was, the rest of them agreed readily with the proposed strategy, with undercover agents hiding everywhere in the club, from the entrance, to the dance floor, to the toilets. _No one_ was to lose sight of Sakura at any moment and there would be agents near her all the time.

Even though this was supposed to prevent the pink haired girl from being harmed, the police force's incompetence was something that didn't sit well with the red haired bodyguard. As much as Konoha's police had tried to shut down the illegal fighting in the city, Gaara had seen first hand how the mafia would run circles around them. And now he was supposed to surrender Sakura's safety to these morons? Not in a million years.

Deep down inside, Sabaku no Gaara knew it would be up to him and Naruto to catch Orochimaru and his lackeys. Once more, the blond was the only person he could trust in moments of need.

The worst part was, Sakura had agreed entirely with the whole operation, adding some important details herself. She'd explained it was the perfect opportunity, a chance Sound would not be willing to disregard. Having arranged for a personal invitation to the club's opening with the police department, she made sure for Shikamaru to spread the news that she was going to attend, making the whole thing extremely public.

Seething in rage, Gaara had taken her out of the detective's office to have a 'quiet' talk in the hall. He fiercely scolded her, reminding her of the difficulties he would have protecting her in the crowd of the club and how everything could go wrong in an instant. But he should have known better than to remind Haruno Sakura of the risks she was taking. Looking at him with a cold, calculating stare in her emerald eyes, she responded to his reproach with a single, simple question:

"What other options do we have?"

Staring wordlessly at her, he finally lowered his gaze in defeat, answering her question in a harsh whisper.

"None."

Tightening his knuckles in frustration until they were white, Gaara felt Sakura's hand caressing his cheek softly.

"Don't worry… everything will be alright," she promised, as she kissed him lightly on the cheek and proceeded to walk back into Shikamaru's office.

How he wished he could believe her. Even though he was being consumed by the need to take her somewhere far away and lock her up in a safe place, a place where he could look after her night and day, Gaara knew this was not possible. They needed to end this whole situation and they needed to catch the bastards who were making her suffer.

Swallowing his anger for her sake, he held on to her promise, repeating it in his mind like a mantra… 'everything will be alright, everything will be alright'. Knowing Sakura would never make a promise in vain, he managed to cover his irritation for the rest of the briefing and for the several days they had to wait until the club's opening.

Now, the night had arrived. The opening of _Rouge_ had been all over the papers and it seemed the whole city was going to attend. From what the newspaper articles had said, the club was huge, accommodating up to five 'atmospheres' in a three story building and boasting the largest dance floor in all of Konoha.

For a bodyguard, it was nothing less than a nightmare.

As he lay there in bed, listening to Sakura get ready for the opening, a thousand possible scenarios of tonight's plan were running through his mind and he tried to come up with every possible circumstance they could find themselves in. He needed to be prepared for _everything._

Humming to herself, trying to fight the tension building in her shoulders, Sakura looked through her closet, picking an outfit for the night. This proved to be a challenge, since her mind kept returning to the red head on the bed just outside the door.

They had made love all afternoon, and even though she relished in the blissful experience, there was a desperate urgency in his kisses and caresses which hadn't been there before. It was as if he was trying to memorize the feel of her body, the taste of her skin… as if it were the last time they would enjoy each other's body for a very long time. Lost in his need to show her all his passion, Sakura had been thrown into the turmoil of his emotions, responding to his frantic desire with equal ardour. They had clung to each other like a lifeline until the sun started to set, letting them know that the time had come to face the events this fateful night would bring.

He was reluctant to let her go as she stood up from the bed. Giving her one last embrace, she was surprised by his fierce hold. Lifting her face to him, she was almost consumed by the hidden fear behind his eyes. Gaara was scared and he was trying very hard to keep it concealed from her.

Tracing his crimson tattoo softly with her fingetips, Sakura tried to offer him reassurance.

"You won't lose me," she whispered.

"Because I won't allow it to happen," he replied, as if correcting her.

He was willing to carry the responsibility of her safety on his shoulders, and he did not want anyone else to help with the burden. Sakura didn't know if she should feel flattered or anxious. To have him watching her back gave her the courage to see this whole thing through; his mere presence was enough to quench any of her inner doubts. But if the smallest thing went wrong, he would blame it all on himself.

Knowing his history, Sakura was aware that if something happened to her, his mental stability would be dealt a very serious blow… the possibility of him returning to his previous self, the cruel and merciless street boy, would be extremely high. And this time, not even Naruto would be able to pull him out of the darkness.

So, for his sake, the pink haired girl promised herself that she would do everything in her power to prevent any harm to come to her. She would be extremely careful at all times and would make sure to stay by his side throughout the whole night. There was no room for stupid mistakes. This meant she needed to survive through this whole incident unscathed, no matter the odds.

Steeling her resolve, she finally picked a decent outfit, dark jeans with a golden spaghetti strapped shirt and golden high heel sandals to match. Shikamaru had specified that she needed to choose some clothes which would stand out. This way, she would be a visible target for the undercover police officers and would be easy to spot. This also meant that she would be easily identified by her assailants as well, but the whole point of the plan was to provoke an attack so this was only an added bonus.

Making her way to the bathroom, she hung her clothes on the door knob. Stripping off the light robe she was wearing, Sakura jumped into the shower.

The sound of water running brought Gaara back from his distraction, making him aware of the time. Lifting the scant sheets covering his naked body, he made his way into the bathroom.

Stepping into the shower with his lover, he embraced her from behind, nuzzling her neck. Losing herself in the feeling of his strong arms around her, Sakura leaned back, relishing the way he was holding her.

They bathed each other in silence, tracing every inch of the other's skin. Sakura mapped out Gaara's muscles with a foamy sponge while his fingers gently massaged her scalp as he washed her hair. It was an act of complete selflessness, as both of them tried to give the other comfort with gestures instead of words. The red head's previous intensity was all but gone, replaced with an unfathomable need to show her gentleness… to make her feel cherished. Sakura didn't have the courage to argue with him concerning his insecurities, so she took pleasure in the feel of his rough hands on her body and tried to return the gesture by mirroring his tenderness.

Between the two of them, Sakura knew he was the one who deserved to be treated kindly, after all the neglect he had suffered.

With that thought in mind, she reached up for him, pulling his face towards her.

"Gaara… I love you," she whispered, a passionate spark in her emerald eyes.

Jade orbs widened fractionally with the words, as if he had never expected to hear them in his life. Without speaking, he crushed her against his chest, water running all around them.

For the pink haired woman, his engulfing embrace spoke louder than words.

Half an hour later, they were both already dressed; Sakura in her golden hues, Gaara with a simple but sleek navy blue shirt and jeans. As she finished drying her hair, the red head waited in the living room, looking out the large windows at the blinking lights of the city.

'I have come too far to lose this,' he thought fervently, images of Sakura's smile flashing through his mind. 'I _will not_ lose this to anyone… **No one** will ever take this away as long as I live.'

A surge of inner strength and courage rushed through him at the thought, and he turned just in time to see his precious blossom walk into the living room, looking like a _deva_ from an ancient legend.

Her beauty could sometimes leave him absolutely breathless.

Making his way towards her, he took her hand in his as he stepped next to her, squeezing it lightly.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready."

And with that, they stepped out the door together into one of the most fateful nights of their lives.

XXXXXXX

The music was pumping incredibly loud as Gaara stood by a column next to one of the many bars in the club. Surveying the scene, nothing seemed out of order and his gaze went back to Sakura, who was asking the bartender for a drink.

According to Shikamaru, it would seem too suspicious for all them _not_ to drink during such a social event as a club's opening, hence, he had arranged for the bartenders to fill their drinks with mock alcohol so that no suspicions would arise. This way, the whole scene would seem completely normal; a group of young adults making constant trips to the bar to refill their glasses.

With one drink in each hand, Sakura turned towards her bodyguard, smiling as she approached. They were playing a part in an act and she wanted to do it perfectly. So far, she had completely convinced all the acquaintances she'd encountered that she was a young multimillionaire heiress out on the town for the night. With her lovely smile and quick tongue, no one had even considered doubting her, even if she didn't go out that often.

It was completely normal for a woman her age to go out and get drunk with her friends… especially with the kind of money she had.

Sakura just smiled at their comments and laughed at all their jokes. But deep down inside, there was a feeling of foreboding making its way up her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up every few minutes. Not knowing what exactly was causing this feeling, she decided to bury it as best as she could, thinking it was probably due to all the pressure she was under. After all, it wasn't every day that you tried to bait your would-be kidnappers/murderers. It was actually an amazing feat for her to be doing what she was doing instead of being huddled up in a corner, crying her head off.

"Hello handsome!" she said cheerfully to Gaara as she reached him, handing him one of the drinks.

The red head's forehead creased in angry confusion. "It would seem you're thoroughly enjoying this," he told her with barely controlled irritation.

"Well, you have to make the best of what you've got!" she replied happily as she sipped her light green drink, wholly immersed in her act.

Gaara's response consisted in a low growl coming deep from his throat, but it was lost in the club's din.

"Let's go!" Sakura exclaimed, making her way into the crowd once more.

Sighing in exasperation, he followed right behind her, eyes darting everywhere, making sure there was no one suspicious approaching her.

The pink haired woman turned to speak to him as he did so.

"Well, _you're_ playing your part with a relish too," she whispered in his ear while she took his hand.

"It's my fucking job!" he retorted angrily.

Laughing at his response, she dragged him behind her, heading towards the dance floor where Hinata and Naruto waited.

Never in his life had Gaara felt such an urgent need to grab someone and shake some sense into them. He knew perfectly well that Sakura had to play her part in this whole scenario flawlessly, but did she have to be so freaking good at it? She was acting like a complete happy-go-lucky airhead and it was driving him insane. It was the precise stereotype behaviour of every single rich girl he had met and it irritated him to no end to have his lover behave like this. It almost made him doubt their whole relationship… _almost. _Taking in a deep breath, he reminded himself that the person Sakura was playing right now was not the woman he had fallen in love with. His lover was the passionate and caring woman he had held in his arms that afternoon.

For the umpteenth time, he wished for the night to be over.

They reached the dance floor, where Naruto was dancing enthusiastically with Hinata… maybe a little too enthusiastically. The blond jumped up and down with the music, going this way and that, bumping into every other person around him. The black haired girl with him only giggled at his antics as she moved in time with the rhythm of the music.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted in salute as they came near.

Pulling Gaara close to her, the pink haired woman started dancing, returning her friend's greeting by lifting her drink up high.

The two couples danced next to each other, shouting their approval whenever the DJ changed track… all of them except Gaara that is.

While he danced, he held Sakura close to him, as if trying to protect her from harm with his own body. His hold on her could only be described as possessive. It actually confirmed the suspicions of Sakura's acquaintances, who had heard from various sources that the pink haired millionaire had fallen in love with her bodyguard. But wasn't that normal too? Especially when you looked at the physique of the red head she had hired… it was no surprise that she had taken him to her bed!

As the music kept pumping and their dance continued, Gaara caught Naruto's eye for a moment.

'Everything alright?' the blond's unspoken question hung between them.

Glancing at the undercover policemen all around them and seeing that all of them were in place, the red head turned to Naruto once more, nodding once. The blue eyed man nodded back and returned his attentions to Hinata.

XXXXXXX

Among the crowd and the flashing lights of the club, a dark figure watched events unfolding with an eerie air of patience. He watched as the actors played their parts flawlessly, falling exactly into place. It had always astounded him to see how easy it was to manipulate people into doing his bidding, even without speaking to them directly.

Smiling fiercely, he looked at the time. The moment was approaching and he needed to be in place for the final climax of this perverse little play he had produced. Walking out the door of the club, he made his way into the night, losing himself in the shadows of the street lamps.

XXXXXXX

It was already past 3am when Naruto, Hinata, Gaara and Sakura decided it was time to call it a night. Signalling to the policemen, they let them know that they would be leaving the premises.

As they went to pick their coats, Sakura was at the same time thrilled and disappointed that no attack had happened. Having wanting to get this whole ordeal over with as soon as possible, she was at the same time relieved at the fact that none of their lives had been danger. The last thing she wanted was to put her friends and lover in the line of fire, but it truly had never been an option. They would always be beside her no matter the risk.

Placing her coat on her shoulders, Gaara's embrace from behind dispersed all of Sakura's thoughts. She returned the emotion of his hold by squeezing his hand in her own, leaning back against him for a fraction of a second.

As Naruto and Hinata approached, their coats already on, they proceeded to leave the club, going down the long carpeted stairs of the entrance. _Rouge_ was located in the middle of Konoha's club district and loud music from discotheques next door and across the road could clearly be heard outside. Sakura's car was parked a small distance down the street and the group walked in silence, both couples immersed in their own thoughts.

The pink haired girl searched for her cars keys inside her purse as they came near to her dark blue BMW, but as she pulled them out, the world shifted into a blur of movement as she was pushed to the forcefully ground.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gaara saw a tall figure jump from the shadows. He didn't know if Sakura was the assailant's target or not, but he wasn't going to risk it. Years of experience allowed him to move with the speed and grace of a cat, covering his lover's body with his own as he brought her down on the edge of the sidewalk, out of the reach of the attacker. He felt a heavy kick on the right side of his ribs but his adrenaline was already running high and the pain didn't even register.

Luckily, Naruto was there to help him.

"Hinata, GET DOWN!" the blond shouted as he sprung into motion, lounging forwards and sending a quick succession of punches, forcing the attacker back a few steps.

As he did so, Naruto realized that the person in front of him was Kidoumaro of Sound… the fucking bastard hadn't even bothered to hide his face.

He kept punching at him, landing a few blows, but as he went forward, several other figures jumped from behind a large trash disposer and lounged toward them violently.

Fortunately, Gaara was already standing, assuming an alert defensive posture. Jiroubu and Sakon came at him with intensity and he was extremely hard pressed as he attempted to block their blows. Kimimaru came up behind Naruto, taking advantage of the blond's distraction as he was facing Kidoumaro.

"Naruto, behind you!" Sakura screamed and she watched as the foxboy managed to duck as the last second, causing Kimimaru to hit only air, forcing him to stumble forward with the force of his momentum. In an extremely agile move, the blond stepped quickly behind the white haired man, facing both his opponents at the same time.

This however, gave him only a slight advantage since he was facing two of Sound's fighters simultaneously. The best he would be able to do was to defend himself, much less attempt any kind of offensive tactic.

"Hinata come closer!" Sakura said, reaching towards her friend. Both women huddled together as they kept hunched on the sidewalk.

"Sakura, get in the fucking car!" the Gaara shouted, as he dodged a vicious blow.

Not even questioning her bodyguard's reasoning, the pink haired woman grabbed Hinata's wrist tightly, and as quickly as she could move in a crouch, she made her way towards her car, which was only a few paces away. She unlocked the doors, with a quick press of a button, since the keys were already in her hands. Both women came to a stop just below the passenger door but as Sakura lifted her hand to open it, she felt a swish of air extremely close to her head, and she stooped immediately, covering her head with her hands.

"You fucker!" Naruto shouted at Kimimaru, who had somehow gone around him and had attempted to knock Sakura out with a blow. Luckily, the blond had been able to intercept him just in time and forced the white haired man away from the girls.

However, the attack forced Sakura to lose her balance and she fell butt first on the pavement. As her hands instinctively went down to stop her fall, she placed her right palm forcefully in the gutter, where it met a sharp object. Hissing in pain, Sakura turned to see half a broken bottle resting there; she had cut her palm slightly, but it wasn't deep.

Gaara's anger was causing him to see red, but he forced himself to control his wrath so he could keep thinking straight. A clear head was precisely what he needed in such a situation, but worry over Sakura was causing his emotions to run rampant. Seeing plainly through their assailants' strategy, he knew they were keeping both him and Naruto busy, leaving his lover and Hinata dangerously exposed. Every time he tried to step closer in Sakura's direction, one of his two opponents would always be blocking his way.

"Well, well, isn't she a pretty little thing," a hissing voice said, coming from nearby.

Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, Sakura turned to find Orochimaru himself kneeling next to her, a disgusting leer on his features.

"What is she to do, when her brave fighters are too busy to come save her?" he said, eliciting a perverse laugh.

Sakura's first thought was to bolt… to get the hell out of there before this revolting freak came any closer. But she managed to control her instincts and her powerful brain kicked into action. If she ran, he would catch her and everything would be over. If she fell into his grasp, all of them were done for, since Orochimaru would threaten to hurt her if Gaara or Naruto made any moves to take her. And she was completely sure that he would act on his threats without any hesitation. There was also Hinata to think of. These people were so wicked that they would most probably take her friend with them just to piss Naruto off.

"I will take you away and you will serve my purpose," the snake man was saying, but he wasn't approaching yet.

In that instant, Sakura's right hand touched the broken bottle lying in the drain once more and before she could even register what she was doing, her fingers closed around the bottle's neck. Her mind worked furiously and she knew that if she did this, she would only have one chance, so _had_ to do it at the right moment.

"Let's go," Orochimaru finally said, and he leaned forward as if to grasp Sakura's arm.

Sending a quick prayer to heaven, Sakura's hand slashed out in that very instant and the broken bottle connected with the snake man's face in a violent motion. Slashing another time as he stumbled backwards onto the pavement in complete surprise, she cut him even deeper. She finally threw the bottle at him, hitting him hard on the side of his head as he brought his hands up to cover his face.

"**YOU BITCH!**" he screamed loudly, attracting the attention of a group of people who were coming out of a nearby club.

He was screaming but Sakura wasn't listening. Without wasting anytime, she grabbed Hinata at the same time she opened the car's door. Throwing both of them onto the seat, she locked the doors from the inside, creating an effective barrier of thick glass and steel between them and the people who were trying to hurt her.

Gaara saw what was happening out of the corner of his eye. As Sakura's hand snaked out, he thought she would be done for. But it seemed that Orochimaru hadn't expected even the smallest resistance from his would-be victim and in truth, he had underestimated Sakura greatly. Thinking she would cower before him like any other girl in the same situation, he had failed to realize that the pink haired woman had not been weakened by his threats and he would have never seen her attack coming in a million years.

With his lover and Hinata safe in the car for the time being, the red head could now concentrate on the fight and try to figure out the best course out his current predicament.

Sakon kept coming at him, and when Gaara would try to punch him back, Jiroubu would be attacking him from the opposite side. He tried to block both their attacks, but after a while, he knew it was useless. So he took the punches and kicks as best as he could, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

As he dodged a well aimed kick heading for his face, Gaara saw Naruto fall after Kimimaru's fist connected with his right temple. Kidoumaru was upon him at once, kicking the blond viciously in the stomach.

The red head's anger boiled through his jade eyes, but try as he might, he couldn't even come close to his fallen comrade. All his attempts were futile and his distraction caused him to lower his guard for an instant and he felt Jiroubu's heavy fist as it connected squarely with his chest.

The blow caused him to lose his balance and he stumbled backwards, but managed to keep his footing. This was extremely favourable, since Orochimaru's lackeys were already advancing towards him.

He heard Sakura pounding on the car's window with her hands, her screams muffled by the glass as the snake man's bloody form finally began to rise from the sidewalk, making his way steadily towards the vehicle.

In that moment, Sabaku no Gaara had no clue of how they were going to get out of this one.

Before he could even register what was happening, he saw a flash of movement out of the corner of his eyes and suddenly, there was someone standing between him and his attackers, punches and kicks flying everywhere at amazing speed.

"YOSH!" an enthusiastic scream echoed throughout the street as Rock Lee danced between Sakon and Jiroubu, giving Gaara the necessary time for him to recover.

At same time, Naruto saw two pairs of feet coming dangerously fast towards him to as he lay on the pavement. Thinking they were hostile, he tried to cover his face with his arms but was surprised when no blows came… in fact, the kicks he was receiving stopped completely.

Looking up slowly, the blond's eyes met the most unexpected sight in his life.

There, hovering above him like two protective sentinels, stood Neji and Tenten, fighting back to back against Kimimaru and Kidoumaru. A deep breath of unimaginable relief left Naruto's body, as he forced himself to stand up and join his friends.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Gaara asked Lee in surprise as he moved up next to him, facing Jiroubu directly. There was relief in his voice and it was evident that he was extremely happy to see his team mates.

"We were coming out of a club across the street when we heard a commotion," Lee explained as he dodged a kick and a punch. "We came closer to investigate only to find the two of you in dire straits against these bastards."

"Your timing couldn't have been more perfect," the red head replied as he plunged into a vicious attack, forcing his opponent into a defensive posture.

All his anger came to the surface in a single burst of energy and as he moved with unprecedented speed, Gaara punched Jiroubu violently, forcing the other man to drop his defence with the mere intensity of his blows. Now that the fight was one on one, it was easy to see that the red head's skill was far greater. He went through a fast combination of kicks, all of them hitting his target effectively. Not stopping as he came forward, the red head's powerful blows continued without slowing, and he kept attacking until his opponent was a crumpled heap on the ground.

As all this was happening, Naruto jumped towards Orochimaru, who was by now trying to force the car door open. In a quick motion, he aimed a punch towards the snake man's neck, all his anger and strength behind the blow. Scoring a direct hit exactly in the base of the skull, Orochimaru never knew what happened as his head snapped forward, hitting the car window directly with his nose, leaving a gruesome smear across the glass.

Unconscious, he fell to the floor like a rag doll, blood covering his face completely.

Turning back to the fight, Naruto saw that it was more than controlled. Gaara had Jiroubu on the ground and Lee was already tiring Sakon out. Neji was holding Kimimaru in check very effectively while Tenten had Kidoumaru on one knee, clutching at what appeared to be a broken ankle.

The element of surprise had served their friend's well and with their initial attack, they had managed to inflict enough damage to ensure a victory in their favour.

Suddenly, there was the sound of many running footsteps and Gaara turned up to look as Shikamaru appeared with his police team, surrounding the area completely, guns pointed towards the assailants.

"Good work, boys," the detective stated.

"Yeah, and were the **fuck** were you?" Gaara asked, not even bothering to hide his anger.

"We kept a safe distance, since if we were spotted, these criminals would have made a run for it and we wouldn't have been able to capture them. When things took a turn for the worst, I was going to order my men in, but in truth, we really couldn't afford shooting the fuckers since we would be placing your lives in danger."

He ordered his officers to arrest the five conspirators; the ones who were still able to move tried to put up a fight, but Lee kicked Sakon's kneecap viciously to prevent him from moving and Neji locked his arm around Kimimaru's neck, holding him in place while the policemen approached.

"We weren't sitting around idly like you think," Shikamaru was saying as Naruto approached. "We found Kabuto and Tayuya waiting in a van around the corner. They tried to escape but we intercepted them. They're on the way to our headquarters even as we speak."

Gaara was about to slash out with one of his characteristic cynical remarks, but he was stopped in his tracks as a female body came crashing against his chest, arms wrapping around his neck as uncontrolled sobs sounded from the vicinity of his chest.

Crushing Sakura forcefully against him, he buried his face in her hair, all anger and frustration draining from his body. They held on to each other for minutes without end.

It was finally over… this tormenting nightmare was finally over. There was no need to worry about her getting hurt anymore. They would both be able to live in peace and would be able to love each other free from any shadows.

As the pink haired woman managed to control her tears, Gaara lifted her face towards him and kissed her deeply, lost in their own little world amidst the commotion.

"What's going on?" Lee asked as he looked around at the policemen, utterly confused.

Laughing slightly in relief as he held Hinata safely in his arms, Naruto turned to him. "I'll explain everything to you later."

"You'd better," Tenten added coming up next to Lee, Neji right behind her, "and you're lucky that I didn't wear high heels to the club tonight!"

Sakura chuckled against Gaara's chest at her statement. Wriggling out of his embrace, she turned round to face them.

"Thank you, all of you," she said, fresh tears running down her cheeks.

"No need to mention it," Naruto replied, lifting his hand to caress her face.

She looked up intently at him, smiling in gratitude. As she did so, she noticed the bulging bruise forming quickly on the blond's right temple, where Kimimaru's fist had hit him.

"You're hurt!" she exclaimed, lifting her hands to examine the wound.

"OUCH!" Naruto shouted as she touched him, flinching backwards.

"You're probably all hurt," she stated, looking around at all of them. "I keep a first aid kit in my car, stay here while I get it and I'll treat you right away."

She walked quickly around the car, heading for the driver's door. She kept her kit under her seat, knowing there might always be a need for it.

As Sakura opened the car door and bent down to retrieve it, she abruptly felt a powerful presence behind her and she straightened immediately.

"Hello there," a dark voice said next to her ear.

She didn't need to turn around to recognize the person.

_Sasuke_

Frozen in place, all she could do was look at her friends on the sidewalk across the car, as they turned to look directly towards her.

Gaara's eyes met hers and she could plainly see all the blood leave his face.

Time came to standstill as the group across from her recognized the person next to her and she saw all of them go as still as stones, as if the slightest movement might provoke an undesired action.

At the sudden silence, the policemen quickly realized there was something wrong but they were too far away to be of any use.

Deep in her bones, Sakura knew what was about to happen and there was nothing she or anyone else could do to prevent it.

A car skidded to a stop right behind her and she heard a door open.

Looking directly at Gaara for what she thought to be the last time, she mouthed the words coming directly from the very core of her soul.

_I love you._

Without warning, Sasuke placed a hand over her mouth, pulling her towards him. In one quick motion, he dragged her into the back seat of the car, which was already moving away before he could close the door.

Sabaku no Gaara exploded into action immediately. Flying across the hood of the BMW at top speed, he settled into the driver's seat, turning the car on as he did so.

"Stay with Shikamaru!" Naruto told Hinata as he hastily got into the front seat.

"We're going with you!" Neji exclaimed, already entering the vehicle through the back door, Tenten and Lee in tow.

As soon as the Green Beast's foot left the pavement, the car speeded away.

Thanking the heavens for allowing him to have such a fast car at his disposal, Gaara forced it to its limits, chasing behind Sasuke's getaway vehicle at a dangerous velocity.

They crisscrossed all through the city, but the Uchiha's attempts to lose them were futile. There was very few traffic at this hour of the night and the car they were following could easily be spotted.

Despite this fact, the runaway car managed to gain some distance by making some very unexpected turns, The red head was forced to hit the breaks heavily to manage to keep it in sight and was at one point forced to come to a complete stop.

"Where the fuck is he going?" Naruto shouted, pounding the dash in frustration. They were coming close to the edges of the city and the entrance to the freeway was quickly approaching.

"He's heading for the train terminal," Neji stated in a moment of sudden insight.

"WHAT?" Naruto exclaimed, turning around to face him directly.

"Most freight trains leave at this hour," he explained, "I'm sure he's planning on leaving the city on one of them."

"**MOTHERFUCKER!**" Gaara screamed at the top of his lungs as the logic of Neji's words hit him. Impossibly, he forced the car to go faster, the passing streetlights blurring up completely.

As fate would have it, Neji had been absolutely right. They saw the car come to a stop in front of Konoha's main train station. Sasuke got hastily out, dragging Sakura behind him, forcing her into a run as they climbed the stairs which led into the building.

The dark blue BMW came to a quick stop in front of the stairs, and before it halted completely, Naruto and Lee were already out the car door, breaking into a sprint.

But as they reached the doors of the station, a group of thugs came out of the shadows, preventing them from going any further.

It was time to kick some serious ass.

As both of them lounged forward, Tenten came rushing in, aiming a flying kick directly at one of the men. Her foot connected directly with his jaw, eliciting an excruciating crack as he fell to the floor and didn't get back up.

Neji came in hard as well, taking out two of the brutes with one of his deadly spin attacks. As he finished turning, he landed easily on his feet in perfect balance, engaging another man in quick succession.

The thugs weren't experienced fighters, but there were many of them. They were placed there to delay them enough for Sasuke to get away, and it appeared that their tactics were working.

But Sabaku no Gaara would not be stopped… nothing in the world would prevent him from reaching his girl.

Bringing down four men with impressive ease, the red head saw an opening before him. But as he ran forward, an extremely large brute stepped in front of him, blocking his route.

"**OUT OF MY WAY YOU FUCKING PRICK!**" he screamed, all the strength of his anger pushing him to his limits.

He took the huge man out with a single well-placed hit, using his momentum to jump over the fallen man, landing in a run as he finally gained access to the building.

Spotting a train as it started to move across the many platforms, he saw Sasuke running next to it, tugging his pink haired lover vehemently behind him, trying to get access to one of the wagons.

"**SAKURA!**" the red head bellowed as he ran in their direction, his legs pumping beneath him.

Hearing his scream, she turned her face abruptly in his direction.

"GAARA!" she yelled as she tried to break Sasuke's grip on her wrist. But her attempts were useless… he was just _too_ strong.

They had reached the opening of one of the wagons and the Uchiha proceeded to grab her forcefully around the waist. Lifting her up like if she were a doll, he jumped into the moving train, landing with a loud thud safely inside.

Gaara kept running, but the train was gaining great speed by the second. Sprinting behind it, he tried to reach the last wagon, but it was impossible… it was already moving too fast.

In an act of perseverance, the red head kept running behind it until he reached the end of the platform, where he was forced to come to a stop. Standing there, panting heavily, he saw the train move hastily away into the night, taking his love with it.

Collapsing to his knees, he turned his face to the heavens, letting out a heart-wrenching scream. His pain echoed all through the empty station, bouncing off the walls and filling the air.

He stayed there for a long time, staring blankly in the direction the train had gone. Eventually his friends came to stand behind him, tears falling freely from Naruto's eyes. The oppressive silence threatened to engulf them all in its sadness as they remained there standing until the day started to dawn.

XXXXXXX

Three days later, Naruto was standing in the middle of Shikamaru's office, screaming his frustration at the detective.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS YET?"

Sighing patiently, Shikamaru proceeded to explain the situation to him for the umpteenth time.

"Listen, that freight train was scheduled to make many stops. He could've gotten off at any of them. There is no way for us to know _exactly_ where that would be."

Pacing impatiently across the room, Naruto just couldn't find the control to stay still.

"And from what Orochimaru's gang is telling me, they have no idea where Sasuke could've gone. It appears that cut off any connections with him years ago, since he betrayed them at their own game. Sound's been making profit by supporting certain terrorist factions and it seems that Sasuke started aiding them separately, taking away Orochimaru's business from right under his nose. This was the main reason why they cut all relations and in truth, the snake man was awaiting the right moment to enact his revenge, since he had vowed to make Sasuke pay for his treason.

"Unfortunately, this is where Sakura enters the picture…"

The blond stopped in his tracks, looking directly at the detective, indicating that he was listening intently.

Sighing deeply, Shikamaru went on with his explanation. "When you kicked Sasuke out of Sakura's life, literally, it was well known that he was extremely unwilling to leave. That's the reason he kept coming back and he tried to kidnap Sakura at one point. He's always had this perverse fixation with her and we knew he wouldn't give up until she was under his control again. That's the reason why I went to extreme means to convince her to press charges; once the restraining order was filed, she had complete legal backup in the situation. We achieved our goal and Sasuke kept his distance; he left the city and it appeared he wasn't coming back. Everything seemed fine until Orochimaru decided to take things into his own hands.

"Thinking it was the correct moment to get back at Sasuke, he decided he would use Sakura as a means to perform his retribution. What exactly he planned on doing to her isn't clear, but it's enough to know that he planned to hurt her just for spite. All those leads we had about Tanaka Maro's plans to eliminate Sakura, they're all lies. Those were Orochimaru's cover ups as he tried to have someone else blamed for the attacks. Tanaka-san is completely innocent.

"Of course, the snake man's plans failed as well, since Sasuke somehow found out about his intentions. The clever bastard actually _used_ Orochimaru and his scheming against him, waiting patiently until he made a mistake and got caught. He used his former master as a distraction, allowing him to get close to Sakura and to put into action his own plans of kidnapping her."

Completely deflated by Shikamaru's explanation, Naruto stared at him incredulously. Never in the world would have thought that such a web of conspiracy had been woven around Sakura's life. How could it be possible, that such a sweet and good-natured woman, someone who would never hurt another intentionally, be the centre of so much evil? It was completely and utterly depressing.

"So what do we do now?" he asked morosely.

"Well, I've sent search teams out already," the detective replied, letting out a deep breath. "I'm already contacting police stations all over the country and trying to organize a full out search…"

"That won't be necessary," a deep, dark voice said as the door to the office swung open.

Gaara walked in, looking terrible. The already dark outlining of his eyes had turned from black to purple and his whole face was extremely pale. But the intensity in his jade eyes contrasted with his physical appearance. There was a maddening look coming from them at all times, as if the person behind them was having a hard time controlling a demon living inside his body. If Sakura wasn't found soon, he would break… and when he did, he would be extremely deadly to anyone foolish enough to be near him.

Stepping forward into the room, he walked directly towards Shikamaru's desk.

"The bastard wants to fight me…," he said, throwing a ripped up envelope on the table.

Naruto's eyes widened at the statement, but he remained silent.

"…And I plan on answering his challenge," Gaara finished, leaving absolutely no room for argument.

* * *

TAA-DAA! Gaara is dangerously near to entering 'Shukaku mode'… how will psycho Sasuke fare against such madness? Stay tuned!

There you have it! Hope you enjoyed it and please remember to leave your reviews at the door. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Yes, the long awaited chapter is here! (bows down to imaginary applause) hehehe. I told you I would update sooner than the last time, but I am aware that is wasn't as soon as many of you would have liked (laughs nervously).

Sometimes, when I review the stats for this story, I get completely blown away with the support it's received throughout its history. Thank you so much everyone… I'm not worthy!

**Mitsuki**, there's a bit of Itachi in this chapter for you! Yey! Just thought I'd put him in as a treat for you and give him a small part in the plot. Hehe.

Here we go!

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Slipping control**

The room was dark. The only source of light came through the glazed glass of a tiny window high on a wall, providing a ghostly luminescence all over the small chamber. The bed she was sitting on had a thin mattress on it, with no sheets or blankets anywhere. It was placed in a corner, so she could rest her back against the dirty wall while she sat. A small cupboard was the only other object in the room, and the walls and floors seemed like they had never been cleaned, grime and spider webs covering them almost entirely.

If she looked closely, she could swear there was a large stain of what appeared to be dried blood on the floor near one of the walls… and considering who her captor was, it wouldn't have surprised her if it truly was blood. Who knew how many people he had locked up and tortured in this very room.

But Haruno Sakura was not one to break under the psychological pressure Uchiha Sasuke was trying to place on her.

After having lived many years side by side with him, she knew perfectly well how his schemes worked. Now, she had overcome the long time abuse he had put her through and she was not about to fall into old patterns again. She was a strong woman, not a lost little girl like she had been back then. Her experiences had taught her extremely hard lessons but Sakura was a perseverant student, and what she had learned, she had learned for _life_.

This pink haired girl didn't grovel before anyone and she knew no fear, no matter what her ex-boyfriend threatened her with. This change in attitude hadn't gone unnoticed by Sasuke either and it had infuriated him to no end.

When they had first arrived at the underground complex he was using as a hideout, he had taken her directly to the small room which would serve as her prison. Throwing her in, he closed the door behind him, turning directly towards her with a familiar look in eyes.

It was the look he pinned on her when he planned to get what he wanted and there was nothing she could do to prevent it from happening. More specifically, it was the look he gave her when he forced her to have sex when she, having fallen into a deep and prolonged depression after her parent's death, wasn't in the mood at all.

But this time, instead of a submissive and obedient gaze, dark onyx met fiery and angry emerald, making him hesitate momentarily when he saw that she wasn't about to back down. On the contrary, she was defying him openly and there was no doubt or insecurity behind her solid stare.

However, she had tried to defy him before and it had never lasted for long. Hence, he jumped straight into his usual tactics, knowing that eventually, she would shatter before him.

"Sakura," he whispered passionately in the deadly silence of the room, "I've missed you so much."

He was in for a surprise if he thought his wicked plans were going to work.

"I'm sure you have," she said offhandedly as she turned to survey the room. "This place needs a little maintenance… it could use a good clean." Spotting the bed in the corner as she spoke, she moved towards it, calmly sitting down on the edge of the mattress.

"I guess I'm going to be a guest in this place for a while, so I might as well get comfortable," she finished, as she proceeded to take off her high-heeled sandals, bringing her feet up and sitting crossed legged on the bed, the springs squeaking under her weight.

She could feel his silent anger as if it were a physical touch.

'I'm sure you weren't expecting that, were you?' she thought triumphantly.

Coming forward in a burst of speed, he was in front of her in less than 2 seconds.

"Listen to me," he said harshly, grasping her arms forcefully enough to leave a mark, "you are _mine_, you have always been mine and you will do as I say."

If anything, the anger in her eyes grew in intensity.

"Don't you see that I'm doing this for us?" he asked, a mad look in his eyes. "Can't you see that we belong together? You _belong_ to me and there's nothing you can do that will change that. It is written in our destinies."

He was talking as if he was trying to make her see reason, but his words were nothing more than the affirmations of a madman.

"Sasuke," she said firmly, vehemence in her voice. "I _do not_ love you anymore… I don't think I ever truly did."

Onyx eyes widened in surprise at her response, having expected the pink haired girl to break into a fit of weeping like she usually did. Anger at her insolence followed quickly after.

But she wasn't finished.

"The last thing I want in this world is to be with you… You have **NO** power over me."

Eyesight turning red in ire, he let her go and rose in front of her. Before she knew what was happening, he slapped her hard on the side of her face with the back of his hand.

It was the first time he had ever dared to hit her and it stung incredibly. But Sakura clenched her teeth to prevent the tears from flowing. She wouldn't give him the pleasure of seeing her cry.

She knew very well that all he wanted was to break her, to see her weep in misery. He got his pleasure from seeing her suffer, that was how it had always been and it had taken her years to discover it. Never before had he abused her physically, since he preferred to have her willing, to hurt her psychologically and then force her to come crying back into his arms, begging forgiveness for mistakes she had never committed. That was how his perverse and twisted mind worked.

But not this time.

Turning her face towards him, she gave him her most defiant look yet, giving out a cynical chuckle. In an apparent gesture of making herself more comfortable, she moved towards the wall on the opposite side of the bed. Leaning her back against it, she stretched her legs in front of her, anger still in her eyes but looking completely calm with the whole situation.

Giving a rough scream at her antics, Sasuke punched the wall with unimaginable force, causing the already peeling paint to come off where he hit.

Sakura wasn't ruffled in the least.

Breathing heavily, he turned back towards her, his onyx eyes bathed in anger.

"This is all about _him_, isn't it?" he asked her, derision dripping from his voice.

The pink haired girl looked at him as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Sabaku no Gaara," Sasuke said, spitting out every syllable of the name.

Being careful of not giving too much away, Sakura turned her face from him, observing the adjacent wall like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"This is all _his_ fault," her kidnapper was saying. "He took you away from me and convinced you that he was better than me."

"You can think what you want," she replied, trying to keep Gaara out of the conversation; the last thing she wanted was to put him in danger. "But I was the one who came to the decision that you're no good for me… and you never will be."

But Sasuke appeared not to have heard her. He approached her like a stalking feline, intent on harming her with his words.

"I bet he fucks you better, doesn't he? He rides you all night long and uses you to obtain his nightly dose of pleasure. He overpowers you with his brute strength until you submissively surrender to his whims. I know that's how you like it… I remember. To squirm uselessly underneath a powerful man while he has his way with you. That's how you've always wanted it, isn't it, you little whore?"

How _dare_ he?

How **_fucking dare_** he?

"YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT!" Sakura screamed, her anger consuming her whole. How dare he mock the love between her and Gaara? How dare he speak of her preferences when he had **_never_** in his entire life truly made love to her? It was too much.

Meeting her anger with his own wrath, Sasuke hit the wall again, more forcefully this time.

"And you think _you_ know?" he asked fervently. "Do you truly know Sabaku no Gaara, Sakura? Do you know where he's from? Where he has been?"

"Yes, I know _everything_ about him and I still love him," she replied, voice filled with confidence.

The raven haired man scoffed at her answer. "Then you know how his sponsors would hire countless prostitutes for him as a reward for winning a fight? How he would screw all of them, one after another throughout the whole night?" He made an extremely vulgar gesture as he spoke and Sakura found herself looking away.

"How he consumed large amounts of booze and wasted away under the effects of drugs when he wasn't with fucking a hooker? Did you know all that? Why do you think he was so unstable?"

She knew he was bluffing. He was trying to plant a seed of doubt in her mind so she would turn from Gaara and run to him. He was trying to bring down the foundations of her confidence, of her inner strength. When it came to torturing a victim with words, he was incredibly cunning. But he wasn't counting on the unbreakable bond between Sakura and her lover.

After having confessed about his past to her that day to her in bed, they talked about it often afterwards. Gaara had told her how he was forced to be part of the decadence accompanying the illegal fighting world and how he was forced to create a barrier of loathing and unpredictable violence to keep a safe distance from it all. The problem was, he was consumed by his own defence and at one point, it became his way of dealing with the entire world.

"And that's not all," Sasuke was saying, "did he ever tell you about all the men he killed with his bare hands? All the lives he took during his fights? He's a murderer Sakura, a malicious killer who only did it for the money."

"You're one to talk," she replied, regaining her calm as she drew strength from the clear image of Gaara's determined eyes in her mind. "Look who's gone all ethical all of a sudden, when he has lived his whole life killing people as a lucrative venture! Who was the one who sold his soul to Orochimaru so he could have more power?"

"SHUT UP!" he screamed, punching the wall a third time, eliciting a crack in the weakened concrete.

For once, Sakura did what she told him, since she knew he was already reaching dangerous levels. When he got all worked up like this, he became incredibly unstable and would be capable of anything. She continued to examine the wall next to her, hiding under her perfected pretence of calm.

"Since you desire to defend him so much, why don't I extend him an invitation?" he said, a wild look in his eyes as a plan started to form in his mind. "Then I'll be able to show you how useless he is and how I am superior to him in _all_ ways."

Turning abruptly on his heels, he made his way towards the door, completely immersed in his thoughts. Even if Sakura had wanted to rebuke his statement, he wouldn't have heard her. Closing the heavy door behind him with a loud noise, Sasuke left her alone.

The incident had taken place around four days ago and she hadn't seen him since. She assumed he was busy with whatever wicked scheme he was planning and she prayed for Gaara's safety. It hadn't been her intention to involve him in any of this, but it was entirely too late.

Knowing how possessive her red-head lover was, she knew he was probably going insane as a result of her kidnapping. She knew she had promised him that everything would be alright and she had promised herself that she wouldn't get into any dangerous situations for his sake. But her promises had been in vain and she could clearly see an image of Gaara losing his control in her mind, threatening the people around him in an attempt to find her.

How she wished for this whole thing to be over. And over it would be, she was sure of that. Gaara and Naruto would not rest until she was found and back in their care. But she also knew they wouldn't rest until Sasuke was eliminated. Her red-head would never let him live after what he had done and Sakura was sure he would have no second thoughts about ending his life with his own hands. They would have an inevitable confrontation and she could only pray for Gaara to emerge safe and alive after it.

Sighing deeply as she looked up at the wasted ceiling, she heard footsteps coming down the hall. As she listened closely, she knew it was time for her meagre lunch.

The door opened as if on cue and in stepped the tall man who had been feeding her twice a day during this whole time. He had the same dark hair and the same malicious eyes as Sasuke. Even though they hadn't spoken at all, she recognized him as Itachi, Sasuke's long lost brother.

She knew very little about her ex-boyfriend's past since he talked very seldom about it. But from what she had been able to discern, he had an older brother, a person who he hated with his entire heart and soul. At one point, in a moment of bizarre openness, Sasuke had told her he hadn't seen his brother since he was five years old but that if he ever saw him again, he wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

Now, it seemed the two brothers were working together, ruling over the underground world of terrorism they were surely involved in. When they had met up again along the way was clear and what had caused them to team up was even more indiscernible.

In truth, she didn't give a shit. They could both go to hell for all she cared. They were wicked men and she didn't want to have anything to do with either of them.

Itachi approached the bed hastily, as if wanting to be done with this task. Placing the tray he carried on the bed, he methodically picked up the dishes from her last meal and without even looking at her, he turned round and walked out the door.

As she heard his footsteps fade, Sakura looked down at the meal on the mattress. It was the same gruel she had been eating the past few days, accompanied by a stale piece of bread and a glass of suspiciously dirty water. Knowing she needed to feed her body something, she forced herself to approach the tray and commenced the trying task of keeping her food down.

Looking up at the small window as she chewed, she thought of Gaara and proceeded to lose herself in fantasies of being safe in the embrace of his strong arms.

XXXXXXXX

As he waited for Naruto, Gaara stalked the training area of the dojo like a caged tiger. They had agreed to meet up to train at Konoha's Shidokan, planning on honing each other's skills for the upcoming confrontation. The red head's tension had been accumulating to extremely perilous levels for the last few days and he _needed_ to let out some steam.

His obsessive mind was driving him crazy, playing all the possible scenes Sakura could be facing. Torturing himself, he imagined that insane bastard touching her, hurting her, hitting her… trying to force her so he could have his way with her. His stomach contracted as his ire constantly engulfed him, flooding him with a permanent feeling of nausea. But try as he might, he just _couldn't_ stop thinking about her and the predicament she was in, making him want to use his own hands to destroy anything he found in his path.

As the days, hours and minutes passed, Gaara felt his control slipping more and more. But he knew he needed to stay focused, he needed to keep his act together or else he wouldn't be of any use to her. This wasn't like all the times he had fought for the mafia, where he could lose his rational mind completely and focus only on annihilating his opponent. It was necessary for him to think straight this time, since Sakura's well being was his top priority… but it was just **so** difficult not to give his anger free reign… it was so hard not to let the dark side of his being take over, the side which would break Sasuke's neck with his bare hands without any hesitation.

As Gaara was immersing himself in yet another fantasy of ripping his enemy limb by limb, Naruto walked into the dojo, already wearing his Shidokan uniform. Stopping abruptly at the tormented look on his friend's face, the foxboy took in a deep breath, trying to find the inner strength to offer him some sort of comfort. The truth was, he was already enough on edge with the whole incident and was worried sick over Sakura himself. But with Gaara's history, it was clear that he had taken the worst blow of all and his sanity was slowly slipping away.

Knowing it was a doubled-edge weapon, the blond walked up to his friend, not caring if the red head ended up beating the crap out of him. When it came to Sabaku no Gaara, violence was sometimes the only resource you could turn to.

Without waiting for the other man to turn completely towards him, Naruto sent a vicious punch towards his face, sending the red head flying partially across the room, only to land with a loud thud on the wooden floor some distance away.

The blond grimaced as he massaged his knuckles... it was one of the most powerful blows he had ever delivered in his life, but he knew that it had been a necessary action. He couldn't afford to lose his friend, not before they even attempted to rescue Sakura. He needed Gaara to face Sasuke with a clear mind, or else, the raven haired psycho would have too much of an advantage over him.

Confused jade eyes stared at him for a second as the red head tried to regain his bearings. The blow had effectively ripped his mind from whatever blood thirsty images he had been contemplating and he was left feeling slightly disoriented. Once he realized who it was that was standing nearby, the red head's eyes darkened dangerously.

"Listen up, baka!" Naruto exclaimed, not wanting to give his friend the chance to retaliate with an attack of his own. He had some important things to say, and damn it, Gaara's instability _would not_ get in the way… not this time.

"You'll be facing that bastard tomorrow and we'll be getting Sakura back once you're done… I'm certain of that. But it's the way you approach the fight that's the problem."

The red head was about to retort angrily, but the intense look in Naruto's blue eyes held him back. It was a look Gaara had seen very few times before… it was determination, anger and willpower all mixed into one. It was the stare with which the blond had defeated him with all those years ago and Gaara was smart enough to let him continue with what he had to say.

"I know you want to get in there and rip his arms with your bare hands and make him suffer to his last breath. That's fine, I have absolutely no problem with that. But things are slightly more complicated."

By then, the red head had stood up and was listening to his friend speak, eyes narrowing in concentration as he took in what Naruto was saying.

"Sasuke is choosing the battle ground, which means he will definitely have all the advantage and it's painfully obvious that he's planning something. Even if you beat him, he won't be handing Sakura over very peacefully…"

Gaara jade eyes shot towards Naruto abruptly, his quick thinking mind catching up with his friend's unfinished sentence.

"He plans to kill her," he said, his voice darkening with a rage so intense he felt his eye sight darkening.

Sighing loudly, the blond continued to explain things. "Yes he does. If you beat him or even if you kill him, his henchmen will do the deed for him. You have to understand Gaara, Sakura is Sasuke's obsession. His fucked up mind has always seen her as his possession and if he can't have her, _no one_ can… and especially not you. He would rather kill her than to know that she will end up in another man's arms."

Screaming angrily, the red head punched the wall forcefully, splitting the wood from the impact.

"**Fucker!**" he shouted furiously, his temper reaching extremely dangerous levels.

"Calm down!" Naruto exclaimed harshly, trying to regain control of the situation. "You won't do her any good if you lose your mind before you even attempt to get her back."

The red head looked back at his friend, green eyes reflecting the inner torment he was suffering due to this whole situation. Gaara was fighting for control but it wasn't clear if he could keep it up for much longer.

"I didn't tell you all that so you could worry yourself sick," the blond said, a devilish grin on his face. "Actually, I came here to let you know that we have a plan."

"We?" Gaara asked suspiciously.

"Yes, we," an arrogant female voice came from the doorway of the training hall. As the red head looked up in its direction, he was completely caught by surprise when he saw his sister and brother standing next to his whole Shidokan Team.

"You're so stubborn, little brother," Temari said. "You always think you need to solve things by yourself and you never acknowledge the fact that sometimes, you _do_ need other people's help."

Gaara narrowed his eyes further at the chiding tone in his sister's voice, but the woman was far from being intimidated.

"You seem to keep forgetting that you weren't the only one who grew up on the streets," Kankurou told him, throwing a mischievous grin Temari's way.

"Exactly!" Naruto cut in, chuckling in anticipation. "You see Gaara, I had a talk with your siblings and it turns out that they have an extremely well-informed network at their disposal and have connections even in the darkest parts of the 'underground' world. They're even better than Konoha's Police department!"

The red head looked them over and suddenly realized that Naruto was right. Kankurou _had_ been the leader of a notorious gang which had wandered the worst streets of their part of town and Temari… well, he wasn't even sure of all the things she _had_ done in her younger days, but it was clear that she was more than just a mere a survivor.

Angry at himself for not thinking to turn to his own brother and sister, Gaara swallowed his wrath enough to openly admit his gratefulness at the fact that Naruto had brought them here. It seemed he would owe his blond friend an even greater debt.

"Now, we managed to investigate enough to know exactly where Sasuke will be holding your fight," the foxboy was saying, "and I'm sure you won't be too happy with it."

"Where?" the red head asked darkly.

"Karuso's warehouse," Kankurou answered him, a grim look on his face.

Gaara knew the place well. It consisted of an abandoned conglomeration of warehouses located on the outskirts of the city. It was a favourite spot for all types of illegal confrontations, boxing, bare-knuckled and even dog fights. The red head remembered it well, since it was at this particular location where he had taken the life of another man with his bare hands one night, after a particular vicious encounter.

But there was no point in thinking over _that_ now.

"He's going to force you to go back to your old territory," Temari said, her disgust for Sasuke reflected clearly in her voice. "And apparently, he's making a big deal out of it and he's been promoting it around in all the right circles."

"What?" the red head asked brusquely.

"He's been going around saying that this is to be your 'big comeback' or something along the lines of that, and all the mafia bosses you used to fight for are seemingly more than happy to bet at the event."

"Bastard," Gaara said, his anger returning once more as he fisted his hands at his sides. "He's going to make it a fucking public event so we can't get to Sakura so easily."

"Precisely," Naruto said, "and that's where the rest of us come in."

With that, Neji, Tenten, Lee and Shino walked forward.

"We'll be attending the event under disguise and we plan on getting close to Sakura while you're fighting Sasuke," Neji explained. "Temari and Kankurou have provided us with a detailed description of the warehouse, including the hidden rooms in the basement."

"Everyone will be concentrating on your fight, which will be enough of a distraction for us to look for her and get her to safety," Shino added, his voice serious.

"Naruto will be down on the floor with you," Neji continued, "We'll have constant communication with him through some microphones Shikamaru is more than willing to provide."

"See, _that's _the reason why you can't kick his ass too fast," Naruto said, his grin covering his face. "We need you to buy us some time so we can get a hold of your pink haired lady. Sasuke thinks that making the fight a big event will work to his advantage, but we're going to turn the tables on him. I bet he doesn't even expect for us to make such a move. So, once we have Sakura safely in our hands, you have all our permission to kick the fucker's ass."

"And once you do, Shikamaru's men will be waiting outside, waiting for our signal so they can move in and arrest everyone inside after we get out," Tenten added with a wicked tone.

Gaara answered her with an evil grin of his own, as the amazement of everything that had just happened overpowered him. He had just witnessed an unprecedented event, where the people he considered to be the most important in his life had come together in a motion to lend him a hand… to help him get _his_ girl back. If his anger hadn't been so elevated due to the circumstances, he would have been easily overwhelmed by the unreserved support all of them were giving him.

They all looked at him as if expecting his assent to go on with the plan, a charged silence filling up the training hall.

"So, you're telling me that I can do what I want once you have Sakura with you?" he asked intensely.

"Yes we are," Naruto answered with a chuckle. "We're giving you permission to 'lose it' as much as you want."

The malicious smile on Gaara's face grew even more and was equally matched by the blood thirsty look in his jade eyes. "Let's do it."

"YOSH!" Lee exclaimed, shaking his fist at no one in particular. "Konoha's Shidokan is on a mission to save the beautiful Haruno Sakura! Team, we must do our best!"

As Tenten rolled her eyes at the antics of the 'Green Beast', Naruto cheered him on, agreeing completely with his enthusiasm.

"We should train," the blond said, returning his attention to Gaara once more.

"That _was_ the initial reason why I can here," the red head answered him sarcastically.

"Let's go then!" Lee replied, as he jumped towards Gaara and sent a kick flying in his direction without any warning.

Thanks to years of skill honing, the red head managed to dodge the hit at the last second and went straight into an offence stance, sending a couple of kicks of his own in Lee's direction.

"Let's see how you do when it's two against one!" Naruto exclaimed, as he stepped earnestly into the fray.

As both of his team mates launched themselves at him at the same time, Gaara lost himself in the rush of the fight, banishing all doubts from his mind. He had his friends' support and they would accompany him to the end, a scenario he would have never thought possible earlier in his life. Anchoring his confidence in this solid belief, he let himself go and concentrated only on his movements and technique.

Sakura would be with him soon… there was absolutely no doubt about that.

XXXXXXXX

Early the next morning, Gaara found the expected blank envelope by the front door of Sakura's apartment. Inside his mind, he wished he would've stayed up all night just so he would have been able to catch the bastard who had slid the envelope under the door. But it was useless to think about these types of things… he needed to concentrate on the matters at hand.

As both his siblings had informed, Sasuke planned on holding their fight at the abandoned warehouse and he was letting the red head know the time he needed to show up. The fight would be taking place late this night, at precisely 2am. It was the typical hour for this type of illegal activities to be held and it didn't surprise Gaara in the least, since he already knew that the Uchiha was spreading the news of their encounter.

It didn't sit very well with Gaara in the least to know that he would be forced to go back to his 'roots'… not when this fight meant everything to him in this world. He knew exactly who would be attending the fight, and if he closed his eyes and concentrated a little, he could even see the leaders of the different mafia groups sitting in their preferred order at the edge of the arena.

The emotions of despair and blind rage flooded his being as the thought triggered all different types of memories in his mind. He saw his hands stained with the blood of his adversaries as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. He could clearly remember the feeling of breaking bone under his fist as he battered his opponent to a pulp, sending him to the floor, completely unconscious. He remembered the emotional detachment with which he brought down his challengers, injuring them and maiming them like if they were rag dolls… young men who were probably just as desperate to achieve a better life as he was.

Gaara had never allowed himself to think of them as nothing else but obstacles. They were between him and the money he needed to buy food for his siblings. He _needed_ to defeat them, or else, his family would starve to death. With this thought in mind, he brought them down and he did so with such viciousness that it was inevitable for him to obtain reputation as the best bare-knuckled fighter in the 'illegitimate league'.

In truth, he fought so fiercely because his life, and that of his brother and sister, hung on his victories. Desperation drove him to excel and his employers knew this very well… they knew it and they exploited it. Turning him into an instinctive killing machine, they made tons of money, of which Gaara saw only a small percentage. But in those moments, he didn't care how much he received as long as it was enough to feed his family.

He shook his head fiercely, vanishing such thoughts from his mind. It did him no good to re-live such times; they only brought desolation and anguish with them. Gaara needed to concentrate on saving the love of his life, the woman who had brought so much happiness and light into his existence.

Before he had met Sakura, Gaara's life had improved considerably but he had always felt there was something missing to make his rise from misery complete. His pink haired beauty had provided just that and had taught him the joys of sharing and of caring for someone else at an unimaginably intimate level. The red head had been helpless to prevent the bonds of love which formed between them and in all honesty, he relished in them. He may not be the most assertive person on the face of the planet, but he would be damned indeed if he didn't try to make Sakura happy in his own way. And make her happy he would, especially after all she had inadvertently given him and taught him…

Beating the crap out of Sasuke was the _least_ he could do for her.

Picking the phone up, Gaara called Naruto and informed him of the letter he had received. The blond promised he would let the others know at what time they would need to leave. The rest of their team, along with Kankurou and Temari, would arrive separately to avoid any suspicions and would meet once they were inside the warehouse and among the crowd. From there, they would split into teams to search for Sakura and would be communicating constantly.

The red head would be arriving with the foxboy so that their plans wouldn't be apparent. Naruto would stay by Gaara's side at all times, even throughout the fight so that the moment Sakura was found, the red head would be free to do as he pleased.

The blond agreed to meet with Gaara for a final training session but after that, he prompted his friend to get some rest, since he would definitely need it for the coming events of the night.

The red head knew he would probably not be able to sit still for the rest of the day, but he understood the wisdom behind Naruto's words. He needed to be in top shape to face Sasuke, since he wouldn't be an easy opponent to beat. The Uchiha had an equal experience in martial arts as Gaara had and would probably have an advantage after seeing the red head fight in the Shidokan tournament a short time before.

No one had actually seen Sasuke fight in _years_, but being the former best friend of the bastard, Naruto was confident that he knew what to expect. Sasuke was extremely dedicated and disciplined when it came to becoming the strongest, therefore, his strength and speed would be something Gaara would have to contend with. Not only that, but knowing the devious way in which his mind worked, Sasuke would definitely _not_ fight fair, especially with Sakura in between. He would do everything in his power to vanquish Gaara and to humiliate him, showing his superiority as a result.

But it seemed that the Uchiha was forgetting something… the red head was completely used to this type of fight, used to opponents fighting unfairly. Gaara had experienced every trick in the book, from the concealment of knifes inside their clothing to hiding needles inside their mouths. He knew what to expect, and Sasuke would do good not to underestimate him.

Putting on a sweater as he left Sakura's apartment, Gaara left to meet up with Naruto for their last sparring session. Adrenaline rushed through his body and he needed to calm down enough so he wouldn't be exhausted for tonight's fight. As he rode the elevator to the ground floor, his thoughts turned to his love and he wondered how she was doing for the umpteenth time.

XXXXXXXX

They had drugged her food, she was sure of it. It was the only reason to explain the feelings of numbness and disorientation thrumming through her body. Try as she might, she couldn't get herself to rise from the dirty bed and every time she attempted to shift even a little, her vision would blur up completely.

Sakura heard the hinges of her cell door opening as if they were coming from a very long distance. Heavy footsteps came towards her, but she couldn't really tell how near the person was.

"Is she out yet?" a raspy voice asked. She recognised the speaker, a grey-skinned individual who had been taking turns with Itachi to feed her.

"Apparently not," Sasuke's brother answered snidely, "it seems she's going to need a little help. I'm tired of my brother's nonsense. I'm going to get this whole thing over with."

The pink haired girl felt a pair of strong hands lift her up abruptly and forced her into a sitting position on the mattress. In front of her hazy eyes, she could barely make out Itachi's face even though he was right in front of her.

"She's apparently resilient to this drug," he said, irritation in his voice. "We'll use a more practical method."

And with that, Sakura saw him raise his arm and through her numbed senses, she barely felt him strike the base of her skull just before everything went black.

She shifted between a land of greyness and fog, as if she were hanging in between the worlds. Bizarre visions filled her mind and deep down inside, she knew these were the effects of the drug she had been given, but could do nothing but feel extremely disturbed by these induced dreams. Nothing made sense yet she understood what was happening as she ran down a dark endless corridor filled with locked doors. There was no way out wherever she looked and she could clearly hear Gaara's voice on the other side of one of the doors. She banged on it with all her might, but he didn't seem to hear her.

Behind another door she heard Naruto and Hinata, they were talking in whispers and she could barely hear what they were saying. A sense of dread came towards her from the direction she had come from and she found herself running for her life down the corridor… she ran and ran until she tired herself out.

But whatever was chasing her caught up with her.

She suddenly recognised the events of the dream when she felt a pair of hands surround her throat and she knew it was the same nightmare she had had the day she had received her first death threat. A person with a dark, evil face was trying to strangle her and a feeling of hopelessness overwhelmed her, just like it had before. She had no option but to allow herself to be killed, or else, the people she loved would be in danger.

A splash of icy cold water on her face brought her abruptly back into consciousness, her body utterly shaken by the unexpected transition. Her teeth started clattering and she didn't know if it was from the chill of the water or from the dreams she had just experienced. She was lying on a hard dirty floor and she sat up suddenly in an attempt to get her bearings.

"Good, you're awake now," she heard a man she had never seen before say. He was a large man, his shoulders twice as thick as Naruto's and his neck basically bulged from the corded muscles it possessed. He looked more like a bull than anything else, and like all of the people she had had contact with for the last few days, he didn't seem the least bit friendly.

"I don't think anyone's told you, but Sasuke is going to fight your supposed lover in a few minutes. He's going to beat the shit out of him and you'll be able to see him go down with your own pretty green eyes," he told her with an evil chuckle.

Sakura's mind reeled at the information and she tried to focus through the pounding head ache thrumming through her temples.

Gaara was fighting Sasuke? How could this be? What the _hell_ was going on?

"Where are we?" she managed to say, her voice raspy from disuse.

"We're in the city," he said, "at a place your _boyfriend_ is extremely familiar with,"

'Gaara has been here?' she thought, her mind still hazy from her drug induced sleep.

As the world started to focus once more, she started to perceive things a little bit better. She could clearly hear some loud sounds now, as if there was a large crowd on top of her. Looking up at the ceiling, she realized she was in some sort of basement and apparently, there was a large gathering of people somewhere nearby.

"It's time to go," her guard told her harshly, as he picked her up by the arm and dragged her out of the room.

Her mind was trying very hard to recover, but it was still extremely sluggish and most things seemed completely illogical. Why would Gaara fight Sasuke at a place he was familiar with? Try as she might, these events were just not making any sense.

The large man took her down a corridor and up a flight up stairs. The more they climbed, the louder the crowd sounded. Finally, they reached a pair of doubled doors at the top of the steps and her captor opened them easily with just one hand.

The burst of noise hit her face directly and made her lose her balance. She maintained her equilibrium thanks to the hold the bull man had on her arm and he forced her to move quickly towards a place to their left.

Opening her eyes widely, Sakura forced herself to concentrate. Luckily, the effects of the drug were already wearing down and she started to regain her senses once more. She found herself inside a very large warehouse with large halogen lights hanging from the ceiling. There were some medium sized stands arranged around the four sides of an arena and from what she could tell, they were completely full. There wasn't a single space left anywhere and she wondered what all the fuss was about.

But it all suddenly clicked.

'_Gaara is fighting Sasuke!_" she thought desperately in realization.

That was _it_. Her ex-boyfriend must have challenged Gaara after she had opened her big mouth and they were now at an illegal fight arena where the confrontation would take place. Her red head had probably been here before in his bare-knuckled fighting days, that's why he was familiar with it. _That's_ what Sasuke meant when he said he would be extending Gaara an invitation.

Looking around desperately as she tried to find her lover among the throngs of people, Sakura failed to realize that her guard was taking her towards a platform situated in the middle of one of the stands. By the time they reached it, she was forced to climb on top of it, only to be met by Uchiha Sasuke.

"I want you to see this with your own eyes," he told her as he grabbed her chin and forced her to look directly at him. "This way you'll see how infinitely superior I am to Sabaku no Gaara, in every single aspect."

Anxiety ran through her and she cursed the day her life had crossed paths with Sasuke. No matter what she did now, there was no stopping the fight. She would've offered herself a thousand times to her ex-lover only to prevent Gaara from being hurt… from returning to one of the places he had tried so hard to leave in the first place.

"She's a tricky one, Hajime," Sasuke was telling the large man beside her. "Make sure you tie her up. We don't want her going anywhere while I'm fighting."

Grunting in agreement, the bull man brought out a piece of rough rope from out of nowhere and tied Sakura's hands and feet. He forced her into a kneeling position at the edge of the platform facing the arena, placing her joined hands on her lap brusquely.

"I want you to watch every single punch I give him," Sasuke whispered in her ear as he kneeled momentarily beside her. "I want you to see him fall, his life blood leaving his body as he tumbles to the ground…"

But as she kneeled there, unshed tears pooling in her eyes, and image of Gaara's determined face entered her mind. Once more, she saw him standing alone in the middle of a similar arena, his blood battered form towering above a fallen opponent.

He had gone through worse than this and had faced hundreds of adversaries in similar conditions. As much as they both hated to admit it, bare-knuckled fighting had made him the person he was, had provided him with a cold calculating personality which could overcome any obstacle placed in its way. Years ago, he had thrived in this type of environment and he was willing to return to it for _her_ sake.

She knew he was making a large sacrifice for her and it wouldn't be in vain.

Sakura trusted her lover… trusted him with all her heart and soul. He would fight this night, like he had many other times, and he would emerge the victor once again.

Turning her face towards Sasuke, she looked straight into his dark eyes.

"You are no match for him" she told him, her confidence returning ten fold when she heard the words spoken out loud.

His expression twisting in anger, Sasuke stood up abruptly and walked over to the other side of the platform. Itachi and the grey-skinned man were sitting there on some chairs, looking like this was the most boring event of their lives.

"Watch over her," Sasuke told his older brother.

"Are you giving me orders?" Itachi said, a challenge in his voice.

Black locked with onyx in a contest of wills.

"Never forget, _little_ brother," Itachi said dangerously, "that it was my decision to let you tag along with me and Kisame. We can leave you to your own means on a whim."

Sasuke looked like he was about to retort something, but the announcer of the fight chose that moment to take up the microphone.

The fight was about to begin.

XXXXXXXXX

Neji watched with troubled silver eyes as a large thug dragged Sakura to the platform on an adjacent stand. He saw Sasuke talk to her and he was not at all pleased when the pink haired girl was tied up.

"What do we do now?" Tenten asked, her face covered partially by the hood she was wearing. The couple were sitting in the middle of one of the stands and were waiting for the fight to being so they could look for Sakura. Their search had been cut short, however, when the pink haired girl had been brought out in plain view.

This made things much more difficult. With their goal kneeling in clear sight of everyone attending the illegal event, they couldn't hope to get to her stealthily and to take her away without anyone noticing.

Lee and Shino were out there somewhere too, as were Kankurou and Temari. The four of them were now also aware of their predicament and would have to change their tactics completely. The two men and the large brute on the platform with Sakura would evidently be a problem. They couldn't possible attempt to reach her without taking them down as well.

"We will have to engage them," Neji said, seeing no apparent way out of the situation. "We will have to distract those three men while one of us takes Sakura away."

She hated to admit it, but Tenten knew that Neji was right.

"What's the signal?" she asked.

"We'll wait for a moment when Gaara knocks Sasuke to the floor… then we make our move. He probably has security all over the building and we need to prevent him from giving any orders."

Nodding in agreement, Tenten spoke softly into the microphone attached under her shirt, letting their team mates know what the plan was. As if on cue, the couple saw one of the people underneath the platform raise their head to look directly at them.

It was Temari and she was sitting directly beneath Sakura, an arm's length away.

"Good, now we know who's in charge of getting her to safety," Neji said. "Now we wait."

In an attempt to calm her nervousness, Tenten reached out towards him and took his hand. Neji squeezed back, giving her all the comfort she needed with the simple gesture. Silently, both of them waited for the fight to commence, their eyes never leaving the lonely figure of the pink haired girl kneeling miserably on the platform.

XXXXXXXX

"Time to go," Naruto told Gaara solemnly.

They were sitting in one of the warehouse's 'changing rooms'. It was a courtesy given to Gaara by one of his former employees, as if trying to buy the red head into his favour again. His plan would never work, however, since the ex-fighter only had one thing in his mind this night.

_Sakura_

Speaking her name inside his mind, he stood up from the bench where he was sitting, facing his blond friend. He had been lost in deep contemplation as they waited for the fight to be announced, mentally focusing on the moves and techniques he had been practising for much of his life.

He would be fighting shirtless and shoeless, with bandages tied round his hands, as was his trademark way of approaching a bare-knuckled fight. Wearing only the black trousers of his Shidokan uniform, Gaara made his way to the door, Naruto walking next to him.

"Kick his ass for me," Naruto told him, his face completely serious.

"I'll do just that," Gaara replied and the blond grasped him affectionately on the shoulder.

"It's show time!" he said, a devilish grin on his face and he proceeded to open the door for his red headed friend to walk through.

"And returning after many years of absence," the announcer was shouting as he gestured widely with his arms in the middle of the arena, "is none other than the notorious fighting machine, Gaara!"

The crowd cheered as they saw the red head approach slowly.

But Gaara's attention wasn't focused on the announcer or the crowd… his jade eyes looked straight ahead and found the vision of his dreams kneeling on a platform directly in front of him.

It felt like if entire centuries had passed since he had last seen her.

Relief washed through him when he saw that she was alright. Her face was haggard and worn, her face showing some signs of bruising… but apart from that, she was fine. She was alive and she was here, waiting for him.

At the mention of his name, Sakura had looked up to see him walk in and Gaara could see tears streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed quietly. He wanted nothing more than to run up to her and kiss her while taking her in his arms.

But that would have to wait, for the red head saw the cause of his all-consuming wrath standing beside her.

Uchiha Sasuke.

The raven haired man was standing there casually, a look of utter contempt on his face.

Rage uncoiled itself from the pit of Gaara's stomach and made its way up his body like a monster unleashed, tensing his muscles as its raw power flowed through his veins. The red head welcomed his ire… it was an old friend which had never failed him before. His fury added unimaginable strength to his attacks and he felt his rational mind slipping as he contemplated all the ways in which he would make Sasuke suffer.

'Not yet' he reminded himself and kept his anger in check… just barely. With Sakura right in front of everyone, he knew his team mates would have to change strategies and he would have to buy them even more time so they could work things out.

But as Sasuke came down from the platform and approached the arena, the red head realized that the time he could give them wouldn't be a lot. He honestly didn't know how much he would be able to control himself.

The moment of their fight had come and Gaara's wish of taking Sasuke's life with his own hands was finally about to come true.

* * *

Yes, I know, I didn't make it to the fight scene in this chapter! (dodges randomly thrown items by infuriated readers). The thing is, if I kept going, this chapter would've been way too long, so, I decided to end it here.

Coming up next: Gaara in full Shukaku mode! Haha. I'm really looking forward to writing this part, since I really like to write fight scenes.

Read and review, people!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Alright, the long awaited fight scene is here! I tried a whole new writing technique with this chapter and I'm happy to say that I'm quite satisfied with the way it turned out. It came out long people, but I know most of you won't mind!

Also, if you're interested in joining a great GaaSaku fanlisting, please visit **SakuraxGaara Forever**'s profile page! (can't put the link up, though. X3 Check for it on my profile page.)

Just a note concerning the differences between fighting styles. When it comes to martial arts, there's actually rules and the like which don't allow you to hit your opponent on certain parts of the body, depending on the art you're practicing (eg: below the waist, on the face, etc.), so if you screw up and attack them were you're not supposed to, you get disqualified or lose points. However, at least in this story, when it comes to 'bare knuckled fighting,' you can hit your adversary _wherever_ you want, including the face and their 'private parts' if the need is great. So it's a kill or be killed philosophy. Just keep that in mind when you're reading, since 'honor' isn't something which comes into play with this type of fighting.

So **beware** since there's **violence** in this thing… Shukaku would not have it any other way! xD

I know you're anxious to read, so I'll go now!

Hope it meets your expectations.

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Vengeance and Blood**

The world narrowed down to the man before his eyes. All the screams, chaos and mayhem suddenly disappeared, leaving nothing but the black haired fighter standing in front of him.

His body kicked into automatic, clearly remembering all those times he had fought under similar circumstances and it knew exactly what it needed to do. The powerful muscles of his legs tensed as his arms moved in front of him, readying for movement. A familiar humming resounded all through his body as the adrenaline in his veins increased and the knot in his stomach tightened even more, honing his senses to the react to the most subtle of actions.

Instinct, power and speed. Those were the traits that a fighter needed to possess if he wished to survive in this kind of combat. Those were the traits the red haired bodyguard had developed all through his life, and now was the time to exploit those skills and to use them for a cause.

In those seconds while he waited for the signal from the announcer, Gaara's mind threatened to disconnect itself from the world, trying to put into gear an old habit it had formed while facing the hundreds of bare knuckled fights the red head had lived through.

But not this time.

He had a purpose here and there was nothing in the world which would prevent him from saving his woman.

Visions of cherry hair and green eyes flew in and out of his peripheral vision, constantly reminding him of his mission and of everything that was at stake. He could not lose himself in this fight, at least not yet, and he managed to control the instinctual pattern his mind wanted desperately to follow.

Somewhere from beneath the surface of his control, a raging demon called, its claws and tail swinging in anticipation, wanting to be released. Throughout his life, Gaara had called on this most primitive part of his nature many times and it had served him well, allowing him to increase his fighting skills to unbelievable limits. But tonight, he could not let the demon lose, since this fight was not about _him_.

Instinct, power and speed. He would incarnate these qualities and he would vanquish.

He knew it as surely as he breathed.

Sakura would return to his arms once again, for that was the only place where she belonged.

And the maniac in front of him needed to be taught a lesson… a lesson which would cost him his very life.

The announcer shouted something into the microphone as his hand went down.

It was the signal.

Gaara burst into action, the tension in his legs propelling him forward towards the waiting fists of his enemy, a silent scream of rage on his lips.

XXXXXXX

Sakura saw her lover lunge forward, an awe-inspiring look in his eyes.

Never before had she witnessed such intensity from him before and she knew that Gaara was willing to put his life on the line for her without any hesitation. The fact that he had accepted Sasuke's challenge was evidence enough of that, but the sheer immensity of his actions hit her in the face the moment the fight began.

He could die. He could easily die.

It didn't matter how many times he had fought under similar circumstances. It didn't matter if he was a professional fighter or not.

Her ex-boyfriend would make sure that all the hits he scored dealt serious damage, she was sure of that. A well aimed punch could end the red head's life, especially with the strength Sasuke possesed.

But she also knew that it was exactly the same the other way around and she knew Gaara would show no mercy. His kicks and punches were aiming for the kill as well and this would surely be a battle to the death if both combatants had their way.

Sakura wasn't sure if she could handle the loss of another loved one again, especially not the man with which she wished to spend the rest of her life.

Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked, but she never lowered her eyes from the fight. Her faith in her lover was unbreakable and it stood firm against all the odds in the world.

XXXXXXX

The Shidokan Champion moved with the grace of a feline, striking at his opponent as he went. Moving as fast as his feet would allow him, Gaara pummeled Sasuke with a powerful combo of hits, all the rage and anger of his being behind the attack.

The black haired man dodged most of the punches but was hit by some as well. This did little to deter him however, and he lunged offensively towards his opponent. Now it was the red head's turn to defend and he did so with very little effort.

Moving as if he were controlled by a master puppeteer, Gaara moved as if he could predict his enemy's actions, as if the world around him were moving in slow motion. At the edge of his hearing, he could hear Naruto screaming his encouragement, but the fighting mode he was immersed in did not allow him to make sense of his friend's words.

There was nothing else in the world but Sasuke… nothing else but the movement of both their bodies as they came forward and engaged in combat. It was an intricate and deadly dance, and one of them would not walk out of the arena alive. They both knew it.

As they both fought each other all around the floor, the inevitability of this fact permeated all through the atmosphere of the warehouse.

But there was no time to ponder the possibility of death, not when the man in front of you represented everything you despised in the world.

Gaara sent a devastating kick directly at Sasuke's neck. The raven haired man was quickly enough to dodge the blow partially, but was severely hit on the shoulder and he stumbled backwards, losing his balance.

Dropping to the floor, Sasuke rolled as he saw Gaara's foot descend mercilessly towards his head, getting out of the way to avoid the impact which would have broken his skull. He regained his feet quickly and was once more in front of the red head, sending out a vicious attack of his own.

The red head dodged the first blows, but wasn't able to move away fast enough to avoid a powerful hit to his abdomen. He felt his rib cry out in protest, but he muffled the pain and continued to fight, going back on the offensive.

For the crowd, it was easy to see that both opponents were evenly matched. They stood at exactly the same level when it came to speed and power, so the fight would have to be decided by some other factor. Willpower was something which often came into play in these types of encounters and would possibly decide the outcome of this amazing fight.

Murmurs and shouts went all round, people taking toll of the bets they had made before the fight started. Whichever the outcome, thousands of dollars would be spent this very night, compulsive gamblers and drug dealers completely oblivious to the underlying emotional turmoil of the whole encounter.

But their avarice went unnoticed by the two men in the arena, where only the movements of your opponent mattered. The results of this fight would allow the victor to prove that _his_ way of life was supreme, crushing the existence of the other and burying him along with all he had once stood for.

There was no room for losing in this abandoned warehouse and the echoes of bone hitting flesh reverberated all around.

XXXXXXX

Neji sat in complete alertness, trying to decipher which would be the best moment for his team to act. As he watched the fight from the corner of his eye, he knew that the combatants could go on fighting for hours due to the similarity of their skills, but that was a period of time they simple did not have the leisure to enjoy.

They needed to get Sakura out of there and _fast_. They were already strategically positioned and all of them were waiting for his signal so they could move in for the kill. The question was, who would kill who?

The two men sitting on the platform unnerved Neji but he didn't know exactly why. There was something about their posture which caught his trained senses and he could tell that they were experienced fighters. However, the cruelty which filtered through their faces was something that didn't sit well with the Hyuuga and he knew that these men would not hesitate to kill any of his team mates if it came to blows. In fact, they would probably go out of their way to do just that.

The dark haired one, the one who had an uncanny resemblance to the Uchiha fighting in the arena, especially worried Neji. He somehow knew that this man had spilled the blood of others many times and would do so again without a second thought.

Something inside him told him to wait, to avoid combat with these two at all costs. But time was getting short and he could feel Tenten sitting next to him, tight as a spring with anticipation, waiting for the slightest gesture which would allow them to engage.

But Hyuuga Neji knew that if they went up against these men, especially in this crowded place full of security, the costs of their rescue would be higher than they were willing to pay. At the same time, he knew that if he waited even longer, not only would Sakura's life be in danger, but Gaara's as well.

Clenching his teeth in frustration, he tried to calm his turbulent mind. All of them knew the risks they would be facing when they volunteered to help Naruto and Gaara rescue the pink haired girl. They knew they would be facing the greatest of odds. It was something they had prepared for and should be ready to face.

Sometimes, it was necessary to make sacrifices in life for the good of others.

Turning slightly towards Tenten, he nodded her way and saw her tense even more, but the courage in her eyes gave him the strength he needed. Facing towards the platform where a trembling Sakura kneeled, he steeled his valor and readied to raise his hand for the signal.

XXXXXXX

His control was slipping and remembering the pink haired beauty nearby was all he could do to keep himself from losing it completely.

As he dodged another lethal blow to his head, Gaara's instincts were going into overdrive and the demon inside his soul was screaming for bloodshed. He really didn't know how long he would be able to restrain himself from losing contact with the world.

The cuts and bruises he was quickly accumulating were nothing to him and the pain was only a faraway buzz reverberating through his body. There was no room for weakness in this moment… he had sustained worse injuries than this many times over.

But he knew that his opponent was in a similar condition as he saw blood spill from Sasuke's eyebrow. The raven haired man was as experienced in the arena as he was and was probably controlling himself to some extent as well. The problem was, Gaara could not rise up to meet his challenge if Sasuke decided to take the combat to the next level, at least not yet. If he did, he would be turning his back on his friends, who desperately needed the time to rescue the love of his life.

Sending a quick succession of punches in the direction of his opponent's stomach, Gaara moved to the side as he finished his combination, scoring a couple of hits. But Sasuke was like a rock and the red head was forced to move out of the way to avoid an incoming kick. Coming in from a new direction, Gaara changed tactics and sent a lower kick towards the black haired man's knees, intent on hitting his knee cap.

Sasuke jumped up in the last second and somersaulted forward, sending a sideway kick directly towards the red head's face. Bending his head and body back with amazing skill, Gaara managed to avoid being hit. But Sasuke was fast too and as soon as he landed behind the red head, he connected a vicious punch directly with Gaara's right kidney.

The power behind the hit would have left any other man on his knees, pain and anguish filtering intensely through his body. But Gaara ignored the agony his body was experiencing and turned round to face his opponent once more, sending out a punch of his own. Unable to hit anything but air, the red head was ready to face his adversary's next attack, predicting his incoming kick from somewhere to his left.

Grabbing Sasuke's leg as it passed in front of his face, the red head twisted his opponent's knee violently, intent on breaking his bones. But the raven haired fighter twisted his body in time with Gaara's hands and managed to escape his deadly grip but suffered considerable damage to his right leg.

The red head didn't give him a moment to catch his breath and came in hard, sending another kick towards the damaged knee, wanting to finish what he had started. Flying out of the way, Sasuke rolled across the floor to Gaara's right side, kicking his feet from under him.

From somewhere in the vicinity, he heard Naruto scream.

Landing with a loud thud on his back, the red head tried to stand up immediately, but Sasuke was too fast. He was already standing and sending his foot directly towards his fallen adversary's head. Rolling out of the way, Gaara managed to escape the deadly blow, but wherever he went, the raven haired man followed, trying to finish him.

It seemed that no matter how fast he moved across the rough arena floor, Sasuke was always behind him and there was no escaping him.

XXXXXXX

As Sakura saw Gaara fall, her heart froze for a moment in time. She saw it happen as if in slow motion… the way Sasuke had rolled next to him and kicked at his feet, sending her lover down to the floor.

Even from this distance, she could see every single injury on his body and had been unconsciously thinking about how to treat each and every one of his cuts. Somehow, she refused to believe that they would never be together again and held strongly to the hope that she would get the chance to heal his body when it was all over.

But then he was on the floor and Sasuke was over him, sending a rapid succession of kicks towards Gaara's head and predicting the direction of his rolling with unnerving accuracy.

If the red head didn't get up, it would all be over.

Closing her eyes momentarily, Sakura breathed deep and prayed. It was the only thing she could do.

From somewhere to her left, the sound of a cell phone brought her back to the moment, forcing her to look up and continue watching her lover struggle for his life in the arena below.

XXXXXXX

Neji stopped his hand the moment he saw Sasuke's brother pick up his cell phone and he signaled for his team to wait.

The odds weren't exactly in their favor at the moment, especially with Gaara down on the floor and Naruto screaming for him to get up. They needed all the advantage they could get and something deep in his gut told Neji to allow the black haired man to finish talking on his phone.

He had no idea what this could bring, since he could easily be giving order for security to tighten its hold on the place and blocking all their escape routes. They were all hanging on by a thread and any single unexpected incident could shift the odds in their favor… or could completely spoil their plans.

The seconds went by with excruciating slowness and as Gaara rolled out of the way of Sasuke's blows, the cruel looking man on the platform kept talking as if there wasn't a care in the world.

After what seemed like an eternity, he closed his cell phone and overlooked the crowd around the arena with cold, calculating eyes. As if coming to a decision, he turned momentarily towards his companion and exchanged a few words with him, both nodding their heads.

And by the workings of a merciful deity, Neji saw both of them stand up.

XXXXXXX

The end wasn't even near, that much was clear. He could not let it end like this, not without holding his pink haired lover one last time. Sabaku no Gaara would _never_ be defeated on the ground... it was simply unheard of.

Something inside him clicked and he rolled unto his back, allowing the bastard to come close to him and to raise his foot as if he were about to land the lethal blow which would bring this contest to an end.

But as Sasuke's foot came within an inch from his nose, the red haired fighter moved, using the reflexes he had honed to an art form throughout his whole life.

His adversary's ankle was suddenly resting against his cheek and in a movement which could only be described as a blur, Gaara sent his elbow flying towards Sasuke's already damaged kneecap feeling the cartilage rip with the force of his blow.

The raven haired man screamed and stumbled forwards, giving the red head all the opportunity he needed to stand up again. Standing at the ready, Gaara stepped closer, intent on continuing where he left off.

But Sasuke straitened once more and turned to look at him, a merciless look in his eyes. As gleams of red shone from his previously onyx eyes, Gaara became aware that the time had come to takes things further.

The demon inside him cackled, ready to bring the buried monster which laid dormant inside Gaara's soul to life.

But the red head refused.

Not yet… not yet.

As Sasuke turned round with speed which belied his injured knee, the bodyguard brought his arms up in front of him, ready to block the incoming blows. As he took hit after hit, Gaara felt the bones of his forearms protest against the onslaught.

Trying to back away, he stumbled backwards under the force of Sasuke's punches, but kept his balance in check. It wouldn't do to be back on the ground in a moment like this.

"So you think you can beat me, Sabaku no Gaara?" the raven haired man whispered harshly, the first words either of them had exchanged during the whole encounter.

"Of course I can," the red head answered, refusing to fall victim to his opponent's daunting. It did no good to listen to whatever the psychopath had to say.

As if to prove his point, Gaara took the offensive suddenly, sending a vicious kick towards Sasuke's middle. The level of the fight had scaled to a whole new degree however, and the black haired fighter stopped his kick in mid air with one hand and sent a powerful punch towards Gaara's ribs with the other, sending him stumbling backwards for a distance.

The crack of breaking bone was heard throughout the arena and many people in the audience grimaced.

The red head felt a surge of pain run all the way down to his feet and as he coughed up for air, a stream of blood came out of his mouth. It was suddenly extremely hard to breathe and his vision blurred for a moment.

Gaara heard Naruto scream something from his right and he turned to look at the blond, trying to decipher what he was saying. Sasuke was coming closer, chuckling mercilessly.

"Do you think you're good enough for her?" he asked with a mocking tone. "Do you think you have the right to even touch what is mine?"

But the red heard wasn't listening. He was trying to pay attention to his friend, who seemed to be trying to tell him something important. The pain was too intense though and his brain seemed too muddled up to process anything else but the excruciating agony coming from his left torso.

"Sakura deserves better than scum like you… she deserves _me_."

_Sakura_.

His vision cleared immediately and his ears seemed to open up to the outside world… not that he needed them. He could now plainly read Naruto's lips and the message he was conveying brought an all-consuming relief to his entire being.

Sasuke's fist was coming directly towards his face at an amazing velocity.

Without even turning round to face his opponent, Sabaku no Gaara caught his hand in mid-air, mere inches from his cheek.

The time had come.

The demon cackled in ecstasy.

XXXXXXX

"Kisame," Itachi said gravely.

"What is it?" the gray skinned man asked, curious as to what might have disturbed his partner.

"I have just received some _annoying_ information and I think it is of our best interest to leave this little scuffle early," he replied, signaling disdainfully at the two combatants in the arena.

"But I've got some money on this," Kisame complained but was brought to silence by a single look from the older Uchiha. "Alright, if you say so. What happened?"

"It seems that no one is walking out of this thing once it's done," Itachi replied, a hint of irritation in his voice, as if he couldn't believe that such insignificant incidents were bothering him. He knew he could very well take care of the whole problem, but he simply could not be bothered. "My _little_ brother didn't take the necessary precautions like I told him to."

Kisame nodded, finally understanding what his partner was saying. "After you," he said, gesturing for Itachi to take the lead.

Without further ado, both men stood up and walked off the platform. Once they were out of sight, Itachi signaled for his guards, the ones who were providing security for Sasuke, to leave the area immediately. It wouldn't do to lose loyal and trained henchmen on his baby brother's whims.

"Should we tell Sasuke?" Kisame asked as they went out a back door, already knowing what the answer would be.

"What do you think?" Itachi replied, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

The gray skinned man chuckled with malice as a car drove up to take them away.

XXXXXXX

When she saw him stand up again, Sakura's lungs suddenly released the air they had been holding.

He was up and he was fighting like never before, and it was all because of her.

Fresh tears welled up in her eyes once more, but she refused to clean them. She didn't care if anyone saw her cry her heart out for the man she loved, for the inhuman effort he was making on her behalf. None of the people in this room would ever comprehend the amazing relationship they shared.

Sakura knew that if she had been in his situation, she would have done the same. If it had been in her power to save him from kidnappers, she knew she would've fought a battle to the death for him without batting an eyelash.

Each punch he landed, each kick he connected she celebrated with him, her soul swelling with pride with the way he moved around the arena. It was _her_ man out there, in every sense of the word, and she would stand by his side until the very end, even if she could only do it spiritually.

He was her Red God of Battle and she would worship him until he came to take her away.

She was so concentrated in the fight before her, that the pink haired girl failed to notice two people pass behind her and off the platform, leaving the stands completely. Her jade eyes would not leave the figure of the red haired man on the arena for anything and she would stay where she was until it was all over.

It was only when she felt a firm hand grasp her own that she lowered her eyes to the person below her and she gasped in surprise and bewilderment.

Temari was there, holding her hand as she took out a small knife, intent on cutting her bonds. She had been sitting before her throughout the whole encounter, her dark blond hair hidden beneath a baseball cap.

"We're getting you out of here," she whispered fervently.

All Sakura could do was nod in response.

XXXXXXX

Neji couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was simply too good to be true.

But he wasn't one to question the blessings life would sometimes drop in your lap.

Giving the signal as soon as the two men disappeared behind the stands, he moved his team into action, mentally telling them to hurry since they didn't know when they would come back.

Standing it up, he made his way hurriedly towards the platform, passing through the cheering crowd, Tenten on his heels. Across the way, he saw Lee and Shino jump into motion as well, heading towards the same direction.

Once they were closer, Neji saw that Temari had already cut the bonds of Sakura's hands and thankfully, the goon behind the pink haired girl was too wrapped up in the combat to take any notice.

The Hyuuga made as if to walk by, and as he did so, he sent a vicious punch towards the thug's ankle.

"Hey, you punk!" the large man yelled, jumping from the platform and following Neji.

He led him behind the stands at a run, but as the brute turned the corner, Kankurou was there.

Using a cloth soaked in an unknown substance, the tattooed man brought it to the large man's face, forcing him to breathe in the fumes, while Neji held him tightly by the arms. After a few seconds of struggling, the man went limp and the Hyuuga lowered him to the ground, hiding him beneath one of the stands.

Shino and Lee arrived then, ready to fight any other security guards they might have encountered.

"There's no one back here," Kankurou explained. "One of the men who just walked out was Sasuke's brother, Uchiha Itachi. He runs an extremely large underground operation and it seems he was the one who was providing security for his bastard brother. He signaled for his men to retreat as he walked out the back door."

"He's leaving Sasuke alone?" Shino asked, clearly unconvinced.

Kankurou chuckled. "Yes he is. There's never been much love between the members of the Uchiha family. I'm sure the way will be clear right to the exit."

Just then, Temari and Tenten appeared, holding Sakura by the arms between them. She looked haggard and worn, bruises showing on her cheek. She was still wearing the clothes she had worn to the club all those days ago, her shoes lost long ago.

"You guys are crazy…" the pink haired girl started to say, still not able to process the fact that she was actually being rescued and that she was finally in safe hands.

"Don't worry," Tenten told her. "It'll be alright. We need to get you out of here so your man can finally do what he came to do," she finished with a wink.

Sakura tried to chuckle, but only managed to cough through her dry throat. She didn't want to leave Gaara alone, not while he was facing that maniac. She didn't have a choice though and Lee stepped forward and scooped her up in his arms. Too tired to even protest, the pink haired girl rested her forehead against his neck.

"Lead the way," he said, turning towards Neji.

The black haired captain nodded. "Tell Naruto that Sabaku no Gaara now has free reign," he said to Tenten.

"Yosh!" she replied and began to whisper into the microphone under her shirt.

They all turned then and headed towards the exit, the objective of their rescue mission accomplished with a flourish.

XXXXXXX

The world narrowed down even further… down to the feeling of his body, to the tightening of his muscles and to the ecstatic sensation of power running through his veins. The pain receded once more to the back of his mind, an underlying humming in his perception. The wild energy of the demon coiled in his stomach, mingling with his already boiling wrath, concocting a lethal mix which enhanced the capacities of his body to inhuman limits.

He was a machine… bred only to destroy the man in front of him, the man who had threatened to take the meaning of his life away. Having climbed the long ladder up from the darkness of the early years of his life, Gaara had been finally blessed by the light and would never show mercy to any person who threatened to cast a shadow on his brilliant sun.

Sasuke was going to pay.

He was going to regret making Sakura suffer through all those years of their relationship, he was going to lament his choice of coming back into her life and he was going to experience the worst pain of his existence for daring to take her away.

Crushing the raven haired man's fist with his hand, Gaara pulled his opponent forward, making him stumble slightly. Unable to break the forceful grip on his fist, Sasuke used his other hand to bash the red head on the temple but Gaara shook off the blow as if it had been a playful swat.

He changed his grip on the kidnapper's hand and grasped his wrist instead, bringing his arm up above their heads. Sasuke struggled, trying break free and continuing to hit Gaara with powerful punches. But it was no use.

Bringing his right fist in with all the ire and hate he had been harboring these past days, Gaara bashed Sasuke in the face… again and again and again.

He could feel the breaking bone of his nose under his fist and he reveled in the excruciating sound it made. He could feel the blood cover his fist and flow down his arm as he kept on pounding the life out of him. Loosened teeth sputtered out of his mouth and engraved themselves in Gaara's knuckles, adding to the effect of his blows.

The demon squealed in glee.

In one final attempt to preserve his existence, Sasuke brought his right leg up and kicked Gaara hard on the side of his torso, exactly where his rib was already broken.

The red head let him go immediately, the worst jolt of pain he had experienced in his life coursing through him. Even through his adrenaline and anger filled mind, his lung burned with unbearable agony and his breaths became small wheezing pants as he tried to regain control of his senses. His vision started going black around the edges and he knew that it would be mere moments before he passed out.

While his enemy cradled his side like a wounded animal, Sasuke was sprawled on the floor, trying to crawl his way out of the arena. Through the swelling around his eyes, he managed to open them just enough to look up at the platform, trying to signal his brother to put an end to it all. Sakura was going to die for what her red haired bastard had done to him and he would make Gaara watch how a bullet pierced her pink little head.

But as he looked up, he found the platform empty. There was _no one_ on it. At first, he thought it was the effect of his beaten up brain and that he was seeing things that really weren't happening. However, his mind cleared enough after a few more moments to find that it was true: his brother had deserted him.

There were no guards in the appointed places and Kuro, his large and reliable thug, wasn't anywhere that he could see. Itachi had probably bribed him into leaving with him.

"Brother, you fucking bastard," Sasuke whispered harshly, the hate he felt for his sibling coursing through his damaged body and he momentarily forgot all about Gaara.

He suddenly felt strong fingers grasp his hair, bringing his head up at a weird angle.

"You will never come near her again," Gaara said ruthlessly, all the hate and wrath of his being filtering through his voice. His jade eyes were glazy, as if he were pushing his efforts to the limit in an attempt to keep his body moving.

Grabbing Sasuke's head with both hands, the red head twisted his neck forcefully in a quick lethal movement. The sound of breaking bone pierced through the entire warehouse as Sasuke's body fell limp to the floor.

The crowd went wild and as their deafening cheers drowned the place, a SWAT team crashed through the roof a moment later.

XXXXXXX

Naruto could easily tell when something was wrong. He had been in the fighting world ever since he had been really small and he knew exactly which types of injuries could put an end to your life.

He had gone through the fight next to Gaara, living the entire experience with him. Each blow he had received he had felt as well, but he had also shared in the adrenaline rush which could only be achieved when you were kicking your opponent's ass.

With each move he performed, each flawless technique he pulled off, Naruto had screamed his encouragement, urging him forward. He knew very well that Gaara wasn't actually listening to him, lost in his own experience as he was, but he knew that somewhere in his deep unconscious his cheering did him good. It always helped to know that there was a comrade by your side when you fought; someone who supported you and would share in your victory… or who would finish off your adversary in case you went down.

But when Sasuke landed that final kick on Gaara's ribs, Naruto's rush came crashing down on him. He could tell from the red head's reaction that it had been a devastating hit and the way he was having trouble breathing indicated the worst possible outcome.

The blond had been about to step unto the arena and stop the red head on the spot. Thankfully, Sasuke was already too beaten up to do anything and Gaara was able to control his agony long enough to finish what he had come here to do.

Cold sapphire eyes watched as Sasuke fell dead to the floor, but the relief he felt was only short lived and was completely eclipsed by the anxiety invading his body as he saw Gaara fall to his knees next to his opponent's corpse.

As the police and SWAT team invaded the warehouse amongst the screaming confusion of the crowd, Naruto hurried up to Gaara and took his face in his hands. The red head was barely coherent and the adrenaline was already leaving his body, which meant that the pain would be increasing tenfold. He needed to get his friend to a hospital right _now_.

"Alright big guy," Naruto said to him as he brought Gaara's arm around his shoulder, "I need one last boost from you and then you can rest."

"Sakura," the red head whispered, the only word his quickly fading mind could think of.

The blond gave out a mirthless chuckle. "Yes, we'll go to Sakura. But to get there, I'm going to need your help." Through the confusion reigning through the warehouse, Naruto knew it was useless to try and get a police officer to listen to him, much less bring an emergency stretcher to him. Lifting Gaara by the arm on his uninjured side, the blond used all his strength to take on almost the entire weight of his friend.

"Walk, Gaara, walk!" Naruto shouted to him, trying to get the message across. The red head was extremely heavy and he wouldn't be able to make it on time without his help. The blond knew there would be an ambulance outside, since they really hadn't known in what state they would find Sakura. Now, that vehicle was the only possibility of saving Gaara's life and Naruto would be damned if he didn't get him there.

Following the order in his friend's voice, Gaara shuffled his feet. They advanced slowly but steadily. Thankfully, when they were halfway across to the exit, a member of the SWAT team realized what Naruto was doing. Slinging his weapon over his shoulder, he came up and took Gaara's other arm.

"Be careful, his ribs are broken," Naruto warned.

Nodding his head in understanding, the man aided Naruto in lifting Gaara up and they managed to carry him all the way to the entrance.

"He needs help!" Naruto screamed as they made it outside.

But Sakura was already there.

She had been wrapped up in a blanket and sipping on a cup of warm tea as she tried to keep her anxiousness under control when she saw the man of her life emerge from the door of the warehouse.

Throwing the cup and blanket away, she ran towards Gaara, hearing Naruto scream as she came to stand in front of them. Throwing her arms around his neck she kissed him softly on the lips. He reacted to the sensation and opened his jade eyes momentarily to look at her, his vision glazed.

"He won't bother you ever again, love," he said, before his head bent forward and he was swallowed by dark oblivion, his goal of bringing his lover to safety accomplished.

By looking at his battered form, it was clear that there was something terribly wrong.

"His ribs, Sakura," Naruto told him, worry in his voice.

It all became abruptly obvious and way Gaara's breathing was wheezing through his lips did nothing to lessen the surmounting feeling of dread crawling its way up her spine.

The pink haired girl didn't waste any time. The confusion and uncertainty which had been drowning her for the past few days disappeared completely and the actions she needed to take were crystal clear.

"We need a stretcher, QUICKLY!" she screamed, her authority as a doctor reasserting itself with a flourish and her exhaustion evaporating completely. "His lung is punctured and is filling with blood. He needs surgery **NOW**."

Thankfully, the emergency team was already there and they shuffled Gaara unto the stretcher in no time, placing an oxygen mask on his face and connecting an IV to his arm as they went.

Sakura walked hurriedly beside them, holding the red head's hand. The time for sitting idly on the sidelines while she watched him trying to save her had ended. It time for the tables to turn and she would not sit uselessly on the side now.

This was her turf and she would save the man she loved with her own hands.

As she climbed unto the ambulance, she saw Naruto and the rest of his Shidokan team mates jump into an adjacent van.

They had done so much for her and she was incredibly grateful.

It was now the time she returned the favor.

XXXXXXX

The large double doors of the hospital's emergency entrance opened abruptly and Tsunade bolted upright form her desk, sleep leaving her immediately. Earlier, she had cursed the day she had agreed to swap the late night shift with one of the other resident doctors, but it had seemed like a good option at the time since it meant the man would owe her a favor.

Thankfully, the night had gone by pretty uneventfully and she had been able to sneak into an office and catch some shut eye on top of a pile of reports.

But from the sounds outside the small window, it seemed that her little break was now officially over.

Straitening her doctor's robes and making sure it wasn't obvious that she had been sleeping on the job, she stepped outside the door and surveyed the scene on the hall with cold calculating eyes.

Even though she was used to all kinds of cases, especially at this hour of the night, what she saw before her surprised her immensely due to the fact that there was someone extremely familiar in the crowd before her.

And characteristically, she was arguing with one of the doctors on call.

"I **HAVE** to go in there, I know exactly what surgery he needs!" Sakura was screaming.

"I'm sorry miss, but you need to calm down. He will be examined by one of us and we'll let you know about his condition as soon as possible," the doctor answered, trying to keep his cool.

"We don't have time for that!" the pink haired girl yelled. "He needs immediate attention. His lung was punctured by his rib!"

"We'll evaluate him as we see fit and will proceed accordingly. We're the doctors here and we know what we're doing," the man responded at the end of his patience.

"I'm a doctor too!" Sakura replied angrily.

"It certainly doesn't seem like it and from the activities your so-called boyfriend was evidently participating in, I'm disinclined to believe you," he replied in a disdainful voice and turned round to enter the emergency room Gaara had been placed in, leaving Sakura outside.

Tears of rage spilled down her cheeks at the unfairness of it all. Gaara could lose his life thanks to the incompetence of this team of stiff-assed doctors.

Sighing as the pieces of the puzzle came into perspective, Tsunade approached the crying woman in the hall.

"Why is it that, even though I haven't seen you in ages, I always walk in on you when you're in desperate need of my assistance?"

Turning round like lighting, Sakura's features lit up. "Tsunade-sensei!"

Breathing out in an exaggerated gesture, the older woman waved her hands dismissively in front of her. "I knew there was a reason why I changed my shift."

"Sensei, I need your help, they don't know what…" Sakura started to say, words spilling out of her mouth before she could help herself.

"No need to explain," Tsunade interrupted her. "I heard enough. Go get changed, you know where the locker room is. Wash up and join me, since I'll probably be needing your help."

Nodding fervently, Sakura rushed down the hallway as fast as her feet could carry her.

Opening the door to the emergency room, Tsunade yelled at the top of her lungs. "I'm taking over **NOW**! Everyone who isn't useful get out of here immediately."

There were protests from the other doctors but she wouldn't have none of it, pinning them with one of her trademark glares. They quickly left the room without further complaints.

Placing her mask and gloves on, she turned to survey her patient, the man who was seemingly the love of her former pupil's life.

XXXXXXX

Hours later, the pair of exhausted female doctors emerged from the surgery room, sweat clinging to their faces as they removed their masks.

Naruto and the rest of Konoha's Shidokan team as well as Gaara's siblings, were sitting on a long bench located against a wall. When they saw the women step out, they looked at them anxiously, sitting on the edge of their seats. Naruto stood up and went to embrace Sakura, who welcomed his hug greatly.

"How is he?" Temari asked, her face pale and worn as she held Kankurou's hand.

"We did the best we could," Tsunade replied, "but there was a large amount of blood already inside his lung and it had to be drained in a very complicated process. We secured his bones as well, but there were tiny pieces all over since part of his rib was completely obliterated."

Somber faces turned up to look at her, aghast with the news. The level of the fight which had taken place this night was completely unbelievable.

"Will he make it?" Neji asked, the calm tone of his voice at odds with the look of worry on his face.

Tsunade sighed, looking over at Sakura who was whispering quietly to Naruto. "It's too soon to tell, but in all honesty, it's all up to him. If he decides to fight for his life, well yes, he'll make it."

Naruto looked up, determination and courage in his sapphire eyes. "Then we can rest assured that he'll be fine."

Tsunade smiled at the blond man before her. "I suggest all of you go home and get some rest. Sakura, you, of all people, need sleep the most but I know you won't leave the hospital, so you can stay with me."

The pink haired girl opened her mouth to protest, but a look from her sensei brought her up short.

"I'll make sure she gets the rest she needs," she told the others, "even if it means I have to drug her."

Naruto nodded and let Sakura go. "I'll be back later this morning," he told her softly, "I know it's hard, but please try to get some sleep. It's what Gaara would want."

With tears threatening to flow anew, the pink haired girl only nodded at her friend's words, silently promising that she would try.

All the others stood up and said their farewells to her as they walked past. "If his condition changes, for better or worse, you let us know," Temari told her, squeezing her hand.

"I will," Sakura replied solemnly.

She watched them walk down the hall, their shoulders slumped. All the bravery with which they had started the night completely evaporated after all the events that had transpired.

"Come on, we'll get you a bed," Tsunade was saying as she turned to walk in the opposite direction. "And after you have a good nap, I will very much like to know just what the **hell** happened!"

Turning round to look at the receding back of her former teacher, Sakura's eyes widened slightly. It was true, Tsunade-sensei had no idea of what had occurred during the past few days nor the events which lead to them to the hospital. Despite all this, she had not hesitated to help Sakura when she was in need and had increased the possibilities of Gaara's survival tenfold with her amazing medical skills.

Smiling slightly in gratitude, she moved forward and caught up with her. Even though it wouldn't be pleasant to relive those terrifying moments again, the retelling of her story was the least she could give to this amazing woman in exchange for the life of her love.

XXXXXXX

It was late afternoon when Sakura walked into the observation room where Gaara was being monitored. She knew she shouldn't be here, but she really couldn't bring herself to care.

The need to see him and sit beside him had been too great. Hence, she had followed her impulses and walked stealthily into the room, avoiding detection.

At the sight of his bruised face and haggard cheeks, tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to cry. She needed to be strong for him now. During the operation, she had given her all to him in attempt to make him better. Now, all she could do was wait and to stand tall by his side, lending him her strength

All of them were doing just that, in their own way. And hopefully, all their silent prayers and wishes would be enough to bring him back to the waking world.

Walking round the bed, she sat down next to him on a chair, examining the bandages on his torso. When she had made sure that everything was alright, she grabbed his hand gently, caressing his fingers. His knuckles had been completely torn after the fight and some of the cuts on them had needed small stitches. It was actually a miracle that there weren't any broken bones in his hands, since from the looks of it, the power behind his blows must have been immense.

As she sat there beside him, she realized how his hands were a complete paradox. They could caress her and cherish her in the most loving way when they were together in bed, but when he walked unto the fighting arena, those same hands could deal deadly damage.

All in all, that was the precise contradiction which described Gaara as a whole… how he could exist at the opposite ends of the spectrum and make it seem completely natural was something Sakura had always wondered about. But in the end, she had decided not to question it, since she was more than happy with the way things were. That was just the person he was and she loved him all the more for it.

Her fingers trailed up his arm and reached his shoulder, only to move back down to his wrist again. Bruises and injuries covered his whole body and it would be some time before he would be able to walk again, especially with the condition of his ribs.

_If_ he woke up…

Stopping herself, Sakura refused to even think of the possibility of never seeing Gaara's beautiful jade eyes again. She had faith in him and she trusted him enough to know that he would come back to her. Moreover, she had faith in her abilities as a doctor and she knew that she had done everything in her power to save him… and safe he would be.

She continued to caress his arm lovingly for a while, as she forced her mind to think of other things.

Sakura had learned of Sasuke's fate from Naruto earlier in the day and a strange sensation had settled inside her soul. Relief mixed with regret and she allowed herself a moment of weakness in wondering what her ex-lover's life might have been like if things had turned out differently. Not that she had wanted to be with him, definitely not. But she allowed herself to wonder about the type of existence he might have lead if he had decided to step away from the shadows.

Fingers twining between Gaara's, she thought about his hands again. These were the hands that had ended her ex-lover's life.

In all honesty, she didn't blame him for it… she would've probably done the same thing if she had been in his place. Sasuke had been an extremely dangerous person and in Gaara's point of view, you simply did not show mercy to someone who could easily threaten you or your loved ones in the future.

Reaching up with her other hand, she caressed his crimson hair lovingly. Even in this condition, it was incredibly soft and she couldn't help but remember all the times she had buried her hands in his locks while they were making love. Sighing deeply, she outlined the contours of his tattoo tenderly with her fingertip, as if she were caressing the very essence of his soul.

She would've giving anything in the world to be able to catch a glimpse of the brilliant jade eyes under his eyelids. To have him look at her once more… it was a wish she formulated in her heart in that very instant while she closed her own eyes. Maybe if she wished for it strongly enough, her desires would come true.

Holding her breath for long moments, she opened her eyes slowly but was only met by the sight of Gaara's impassive and bruised face breathing into his oxygen mask, eyes closed in deep sleep.

Sakura breathed out deeply, lowering her face to the mattress. With her cheek against his hand, she looked up at him, her heart breaking for the umpteenth time in the past 24 hours.

"Gaara, come back to me," she whispered as she closed her eyes.

The contact of his hand against her face somehow managed to lessen her anxiety and it was easy to let the accumulated exhaustion catch up with her. While listening to her lover's heart monitor in the quiet room, Sakura surrendered to the realm of sleep, grasping his arm unconsciously with her hand while she dreamed.

* * *

Don't forget to leave your reviews at the door! xD 


	12. Chapter 12

And thus, this story comes to an end… and about time too, as all of you would agree.

Between apologies for my _appalling_ delays, I want to **THANK **all of you who have read this story for the support and inspiration you have provided.

This chapter, in its entirety, is dedicated to _Mitsuki Shiroi_: loyal reader, avid supporter and true friend.

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Shades of Life**

The feeling of being suspended in mid air suddenly ceased and he could make out a faint light filtering through his eyelids. It was soft and warm, radiating a feeling of comfort which he couldn't ignore even if he tried.

With great effort, Sabaku no Gaara opened his eyes.

He was lying on his back and the first thing he saw was an endless bright blue sky, without a single cloud gracing its vastness. He was suddenly immersed in a feeling of contentment, as if that endless firmament reflected the nature of his very being. Blinking in rapid succession he tried to move his limbs and his hands met with a strange substance, on which he was seemingly lying.

Sand.

He shifted his head slightly, his eyes travelling down the length of his arm and halting at his hand… the hand of a child. This fact didn't faze him in the least and he started threading the sand through his fingers, relishing in the feel of the grains as they slipped from his grasp.

After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to sit up, shifting his short legs underneath him. Before him lay a vast ocean, as endless as the sky above him and he couldn't help but smile in wonderment at the beautiful sight.

The realization that he couldn't hear the sound of the waves never crossed his mind and he sat there in amazement, staring at the movements of the waters as if he were watching the sea for the first time.

It was then that he felt it: a familiar presence to his left. Turning his head in its direction, his eyes widened at the sight before him and his mind went blank.

There, sitting some distance away sat a beautiful woman with long auburn hair trailing down her back. She was playing happily with the sand and the echo of her laughter brought music to Gaara's ears, as if he'd been craving for that sound all his life. She turned then towards him and he recognized her immediately even though he had never seen her before.

It was his mother.

With tears in his eyes, he forced his small body into action, lunging himself towards her and falling into her arms.

"Shhh," she told him softly, "no need to worry, dearest. I'm here."

As she said the words, her tender hands caressed his hair and his cheeks, embracing him as if she never wanted to let him go.

Gaara had never felt so loved.

"Mama, can I stay her with you forever?" he asked, looking up towards her face.

She answered with a loving smile and tightened her embrace.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The bags under her eyes were increasing by the minute and walking up and down the corridor was all she could do to prevent herself from falling asleep on her feet.

The days following the bare knuckled fight had been a blur, with the police coming in and taking shifts to guard Gaara. They didn't know if any of Sasuke's lackeys were still out there, just waiting for the right moment to retaliate and thus, they weren't going to take any chances. Sakura had been forced from the red head's side given that her statement was necessary to prosecute all the mafia bosses Shikamaru had apprehended and the story of her kidnapping needed to be adequately archived in the files of the case. This took her away for hours at a time and before she knew it, the days had passed before her eyes without her even noticing.

At one point, there were some heated debates concerning Gaara's participation in the fight and the possibility that he would be charged with murder appeared. The pink haired girl almost had a breakdown right there and then, but Shikamaru assured that her statement and the letter that Sasuke had sent the bodyguard issuing a challenge were more than enough evidence to show that he had gone to the fight in an effort to protect her. If he had finally beaten down and ended the life of his opponent, well, it had been done in self-defence as well as for her own safety.

Sakura wasn't entirely sure if he had done just that but she decided to let the matter drop. True enough, the debates weren't heard of again and the trials proceeded without any problems. She was called to the witness box many times and she was more than happy to provide the jury with everything she had seen while in the forced custody of Uchiha Sasuke. The truth of their past relationship was also revealed and it was extremely hard for her to tell the world about the torment her ex-lover had made her live through but she did so with her head held high.

All in all, before she could even start to think about the chaos of the past few days and to realize that she was finally safe, two whole weeks had gone by without Gaara showing any signs of improvement.

She visited him everyday and tried to stay the night as much as possible, alternating with Naruto. Nonetheless, the redhead's siblings and the members of the Konoha's Shidokan would always appear out of nowhere, giving their support in their own little ways. They had been insistent when it came to staying by their friend's side and they wouldn't let Sakura assume the tiring responsibility of taking care of him all by herself. It was during this time that the pink haired girl had gotten to know Temari and Kankurou; they spoke to her of Gaara's childhood and of the good times the three of them had shared together despite their terrible circumstances. It eased her heart to know that her beloved redhead had siblings who had cared for him ever since he was small and that there had been some light in the darkness he had been forced to face.

Even though she had some moments in which she could breathe, Sakura was overwhelmed with worries more often than not. It didn't help to constantly remind herself that Hinata had been leading her company ever since she had been taken by Sasuke and the pink haired manager knew she couldn't let her assume the role of temporal administrator for much longer. Her friend had done so much for her and it was about time that she relieved her of an occupation that truly wasn't meant for the shy girl. She knew that her raven haired friend was going crazy despite the smiles and the reassurances she gave her but she simply couldn't bring herself to leave Gaara… at least not yet.

Sakura made a point of being there everyday when Tsunade-sensei made her rounds and came to check on the redhead. But she only came to tell the pink haired girl what she had already surmised by herself.

"He's in a coma, dear. It's all up to him now."

Now, as she walked the corridor of the hospital in front of Gaara's room, Sakura tried to get her life back into some semblance of order, trying to think of anything but the man lying on a bed on the other side of the wall. Her tired mind would jump from one thought to the next, barely being coherent, as she attempted to calm down somewhat. But the intense period of tension she had been living couldn't be disregarded so easily.

Her body was screaming for her to get some sleep but she knew that if she went back home and got into bed, her mind would not let her get a single minute of rest. Either way, she needed to wait for Naruto who was coming to stay the night with Gaara. He would be arriving any minute and she felt like talking to her friend for a while.

There were many things she wanted to say to him but she simply hadn't found the courage or the time.

By the time the blond arrived carrying a duffle bag with his things, he knew that Sakura had been waiting specifically for him. When he greeted her with an embrace, he suddenly realized how fragile she was and wasn't at all surprised to find that she had lost some weight.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked her, concern in his voice.

"Midday," the pink haired girl confessed with a wry smile. In all honesty, her body was still recuperating from the shock the past few days had dealt her and her eating habits had not returned to normal yet… and she didn't know if they ever would if Gaara continued to linger in the unconscious state he was currently in.

Naruto left his things inside the room and walked her down to the hospital's 24 hour cafeteria. There were only a few people around this late at night and they sat alone at a table completely undisturbed.

Sakura tried to initiate a conversation with her friend but he wouldn't hear any of it until she had finished the food on her plate. The blond fighter knew that his pink haired friend had a tendency to neglect her own care, especially when others needed her and he decided that he would have to pamper her himself until Gaara decided to join them.

When Sakura finished eating, silence fell over the both of them and as she lifted tired emerald eyes towards Naruto, she found a pair of sapphire blue orbs staring back at her intently.

"He's dead then," she said suddenly, managing to get past the lump in her throat as she broke the silence.

There was absolutely no need to explain who _he_ was.

"Yes," Naruto answered simply, a strange mixture of pain and relief flooding through him.

Sakura knew that if there was anyone who would understand how she was feeling, it would be her loyal blond friend.

"It's kind of strange to think that he is actually gone…" she said, tears threatening to slip from her eyes. "To think that the shadow that has been chasing me for years has finally been extinguished and that it will truly never bother me again."

"I know," Naruto said softly, looking down at the cup of tea he held in his hands. "You know, after all this time, something deep inside of me always thought that he might come back to us… that he might return to being the person he was before."

Sakura nodded. She had been right. Naruto was the only person who would be able to understand what she was going through.

"I thought so too," she confessed. "But he simply slipped out of our grasp a very long time ago."

"Yes, I knew that too but hope is the last thing you lose…" the blond said, smiling sadly.

"Yeah," Sakura replied simply.

"But I guess its fitting, don't you think?" she said after a while. "He has been released from the world of darkness he decided to descend into and we have been freed of his lurking shadow."

Naruto's smile changed slightly. "Yes, you're right. It couldn't have ended any other way. Now, all we can do it look forward to what is yet to come."

Sakura nodded, unable to speak because of the tears. Not caring if there was anyone watching, she stood up and walked over to sit on the chair next to Naruto and embraced him tightly. She wept into his shoulder while he held her, letting go of all the bottled up emotions she had been trying to control these past few days.

When she quietened, the blond caressed her soft cherry hair and murmured into her ear. "Don't worry, Gaara will come back to us. He won't dare to leave you like that… he knows I'll kick his ass in this life or the next if he breaks your heart."

Sakura chuckled slightly at the statement and lifted her face to look up at her friend.

"You need to get some sleep," he told her as he took in her haggard face and swollen eyes. "Go home, take a bath and rest. You know I'll call you if there's any change."

She nodded and stood slowly, her body deciding that it was going to follow Naruto's advice even if she didn't want to. Accompanying the blond to Gaara's room, she kissed her redheaded lover goodnight before leaving him alone with their friend.

A few minutes later, she was out the hospital doors and heading home. By the time she got to her apartment, her limbs were already taking their toll from the lack of sleep and she was barely able to undress to take a quick shower. She forced herself to wash since the hot water would be good for her.

Terribly exhausted from the exertion, she collapsed on the bed completely naked after towelling herself dry and fell asleep the instant her cheek touched her pillow.

XXXXXXXXXXX

His mother's lap was all he had ever imagined it would be and more. As he sat there in her embrace while overlooking the vast ocean in front of them, Gaara thought there was nothing else he could ever want in his entire existence.

But his mother had other opinions.

"Sweety, you will have to leave soon," she told him in a patient tone.

The redheaded child simply shook his head forcefully and buried his face in her chest. "I don't want to go anywhere, mama. I belong here."

The auburn haired woman smiled down at him fondly. "You will always belong here with me, dear. You always have me with you, no matter where you go. But there is another place where you must be… there are other people who need you."

"I don't care about them," Gaara exclaimed, tears coming to his jade eyes. "I just want to be with you."

His mother embraced him tightly and caressed his hair softly. "I know, I know, but you don't mean it when you say you do not care for them. They are important people, people who care for you immensely. It will not do to keep them crying over you because you do not return."

Wide jade eyes turned to look at her. "Someone is crying over me?"

"Yes," his mother replied with a sad smile. "Crying very much."

"But no one loves me," Gaara answered angrily. "No one has ever cared about me."

"That's a lie and you know it," she said in a patient tone. "You just have to remember."

"Remember who?" the redheaded boy asked as the waves continued to crash upon the sand.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura woke up unbelievably rested. It had been weeks since she had been able to get sleep properly and as the morning sun filtered through her curtains, her body felt like it was heading directly towards normalcy at an incredibly fast rate.

Emerald eyes turned to look at her bedside alarm clock and she was shocked to see that it was already midday. She had slept over 12 hours and had actually missed Tsunade's round on Gaara. Cursing loudly, the pink haired girl threw the covers off her and made her way to the bathroom. She washed her face quickly and started dressing in a pair of jeans but stopped suddenly.

As much as it broke her heart, she realized that it was time she started concentrating on her own life and started paying attention to the professional aspects of it. HPhar was the inheritance she had received from her dead parents and she needed it to keep going so she could keep their legacy alive. It was one of the most important things in her life and due to all the recent chaos, she had thrown it down to the bottom of her priorities.

But she couldn't keep that up for long. She had her family name to live up to and even though her parents would understand the terrible experiences she had gone through, Sakura refused to bow her head to adversity, especially when all she wanted was for them to be proud of her… wherever they were.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply. Leaving Gaara in the hands of someone else was going to prove extremely difficult but she knew she had to do it. For the sake of her family's company and of her standing as a professional, she knew she would have to cut down the time she spent at the hospital. Bracing her courage, she reminded herself that this didn't mean that she was leaving him alone… not at all. She would spend this night by his side and would take care of him as best as she could. It just meant that she needed to concentrate on other important factors in life.

Besides, he wouldn't be completely alone. Even now as she looked at the time, she knew Kankurou would definitely be with his little brother, keeping him company. The tattoed man had a tendency to drop by before lunch and he stayed for a few hours after that. Temari would most likely stop by as well. Gaara would always have a familiar face beside him, no matter the time.

There was really nothing to worry about.

Dropping the jeans she had been holding in her hand to the floor, the pink haired girl walked back into her closet. She looked through her clothing, finally making her choice. A few minutes later she emerged, wearing a navy blue pinstripe suit that hugged her figure very nicely, her hair carefully dried and perfectly combed. Putting on some of her favourite jewellery, she applied just enough make up to hide the haggard look on her face. She finally turned to survey herself in her full length mirror…

And was met by the sight of the Chief Manager of Haruno Pharmaceuticals, a strong and confident woman she hadn't seen in a very long time.

By the time she stepped out of the elevator unto the conference room's floor of office building, Sakura was feeling so much like herself again that she thought she would be overcome with the powerful emotions running rampant within her. She had _missed_ this. She had missed her job, she had missed her profession… she had missed being the head of the company her parent's had built with their own hands. A wide grin spread across her face as she walked through the hallway, smiling even more when people in the corridor would stop and stare openly at her, bowing their heads as she passed.

"Miss Haruno," they greeted with respect. "It's great to have you back."

Yes, it _was_ great to be back. She greeted all of them cheerfully and stopped to chat with some of them. But she didn't linger long. A board meeting was taking place in this instant, as it always did at this hour once a month, and she was intent on attending this one.

As she reached the large double doors of the conference room, she stopped a moment to breathe in deeply. Without any hesitation, Sakura grasped the door knob and opened the door, noticing the silence that descended over the room when the discussion was interrupted by her entrance.

Lifting emerald eyes towards the long table where the members of the board were sitting, she almost let out a giggle at the looks of utter shock on most faces. But as she turned towards the head of the table and found Hinata sitting in the Chief Manager chair, she only saw relief and happiness reflected in her friend's eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sakura greeted with a smile. "I apologize for my extended absence but as you already know, things were simply not in my hands. I'm happy to say that I am back so I would appreciate it if you could brief me on the situation so we can get down to business."

As she talked, she made her way steadily to the end of the table, where Hinata was already standing next to her chair, basically radiating with happiness. Sakura smiled widely and grasped her hand in affection for a moment, letting her know that they would talk later. Sitting down in her chair with the grace of a multimillionaire heiress, she turned towards her board members and proceeded to throw herself head first in the running of her company.

It was some minutes afterwards that Hinata approached her quietly and leaned down towards her ear.

"Would you like a double mocha?" she whispered sweetly.

The grin on Sakura's lips couldn't have been wider.

"I would love one," she replied, happier than she'd been in days.

Smiling just as wide, the raven haired assistant made her way silently out of the room, utterly ecstatic with the return of her friend.

XXXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later, after having gone out together for a nice lunch, manager and assistant made their way up to Sakura's office. They were intent on sitting down and tackling the re-organization that was surely going to be needed when the pink haired girl resumed her post once again. Hinata had been rescheduling many meetings for her sake and some business partners were getting impatient.

Sakura wasn't sure how Hinata had managed it but she had kept her situation a classified secret and only the top members of her company, the ones she had been in a meeting with up until now, knew exactly what had been going on. All of them were loyal to Sakura and her parents; some had actually known her since she was small, for they had always been like family. And thus, the incident with Sasuke had been kept to an extremely low profile and Sakura's absence had been attributed to a strange illness. With the way she had lost weight and had looked slightly haggard, it hadn't been hard for her employees to believe what they had been told.

Once more, the pink haired manager was completely grateful for Hinata's subtle influences and knew that she wouldn't have been able to recover professionally from this whole episode if she hadn't been standing beside her. Now that she had managed to get things in order and had delegated responsibilities, she planned on giving her friend an extended vacation. She had also made clear that she would be coming into the office often but that due to personal reasons she still wasn't capable of returning full time. However, she would be available for anything anyone might need and she would be checking up on everything constantly. There hadn't been any complaints to that and some of the closest members of the board had told her to rest as much as she needed.

She appreciated that more than they could ever know and once more, she promised herself she would do anything in her power to keep her parent's company on the top.

"It's been cleaned twice a week like you've always preferred," Hinata said with a smile as they walked into Sakura's office. Just like she mentioned, everything was in pristine order, her desk and furniture completely free of any dust that might have accumulated while she was gone.

The pink haired manager walked up towards her large window, the afternoon sun flooding her office with its warm glow. She overlooked the city and unconsciously, her eyes darted across the landscape in search of Konoha's Central Hospital some distance away, pinpointing its location among the rest of the buildings.

'I'm right here,' she told him inside her mind, letting Gaara know that she was within easy reach if he happened to need her.

Turning around, she walked towards her desk and sat down in her armchair, making herself comfortable. Hinata smiled and took a chair in front of her as Sakura turned on her computer.

"Let's do this," HPhar's manager said with determination.

"Alright," her raven haired assistant replied, settling back and taking out her PDA from her suit pocket. "The only really urgent meeting that you have is with Tanaka-san, since he's leaving the country early in the morning in two day's time. He is adamant in his request to meet with you before he leaves. I've had a tough time pacifying him… when I told him you were sick, he said he would visit you at home if he needed to."

Sakura chuckled. That was Tanaka-san for you. He was one of her main business partners and owned a large company of medical supplies. She really had an obligation to him especially since he had been so patient with her when she had first taken the reigns of HPhar.

"Tell him I'll meet with him tomorrow afternoon," she replied. "Maybe we can even have a lunch meeting and come back to the office if our discussions extend too much… which is ends up being the case."

"I'm sure he'll ask if he can see you tonight," Hinata said as she scheduled the meeting on her PDA, her small pen moving with amazing speed across the screen.

"If he does simply tell him that I'm indisposed," Sakura stated firmly. "I'm staying with Gaara tonight."

The raven haired assistant nodded, concerned at the sad look that abruptly crossed her friend's emerald eyes. She knew Sakura needed a break… needed some time away from the hospital so she could concentrate on other things and rest her worried mind.

And it was up to her to provide the distraction.

"The developing team has come up with a couple of potential products," Hinata said, changing the subject. "They've been begging to meet with you."

That did the trick and she saw the expression on Sakura's face change from sad to curious in a few seconds.

"Now that will definitely prove interesting," she replied, leaning forward in her chair. "What have they come up with this time?"

Glad that she could help lighten the burden her friend carried, Hinata smiled before plunging into the description of the innovative products their team had come up with.

XXXXXXXXXXX

What his mother had said confused him.

All along he had been feeling completely at ease, satisfied with watching the rolling waves as they crashed against the shore, one after another. She had gone silent after that. Her hand continued to caress his hair but no other words fell from her lips.

He was starting to feel edgy and he didn't like it. The urge to throw a tantrum was slowly rising to the surface. But he was sure that if he let his temper get the best of him and he demanded that his mother tell him who she was talking about, he wouldn't get the answers he needed. His childlike mind somehow managed to grasp the intuitive realization that he needed to solve this problem by himself.

Bright jade eyes turned up towards the sea, narrowing as he tried to discern the puzzle his mother had inadvertently dropped into his lap. Strangely, he didn't feel as welcome as he had before in this peaceful landscape and something deep inside him started to stir.

He shouldn't be feeling this way. He was with his mother… there really shouldn't be anything else he could want. Her smiles, her caresses and her love were all he needed, all he had ever wanted in life. But a sudden restlessness overcame him and before he could think about what he was doing, he had stood up and walked away from his mother's lap.

Heading directly towards the water, he could feel the soft sand under his feet. He looked up towards the sky and abruptly realized that the day was ending. The light of the fading sun rapidly turned the sky into a thousand different hues of orange and roseate.

Inexplicably, he felt his eyes being drawn towards the various shades of pink. Something stirred inside him, as if he were trying to recall something important… something of significance that he had somehow lost.

But try as he might, he simply couldn't pinpoint it. As he continued to stand there in his confusion, he felt an initial spark of irritated anger make its way up his spine at not knowing what it was that was bothering him.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto rose from the chair he had been dozing on for the past couple of hours and walked towards the hospital room's window. Lifting his hand, he partially opened the white curtains to overlook the view of the city at night. Dawn was only around 20 minutes away and soon, all the lights that illuminated Konoha would slowly disappear under the sun's shining rays.

Watching the dawn was a habit he had acquired of late and he found himself drawn to the window whenever he spent the night at the hospital with his sleeping friend. He guessed it was a way to hang on to the hope that they were all clinging to; to watch the sun drive away the darkness was like re-affirming their faith in the redheaded man lying on the bed a few paces away.

The tired blond turned to look at him then. Nothing had changed. So many days had gone by and Gaara didn't show any signs of improvement. Compared to the fit and strong fighter that he was before he'd encountered Sasuke, he was now like a shadow self of what he once had been. Due to his injuries and lack of consciousness, the redhead had lost weight and the black rings around his eyes had intensified. They stood out terribly against his pale skin, just like the crimson tattoo on his forehead. The bruises from his fight with the Uchiha were slowly disappearing and instead of a leering purple, they were turning into a shade of sickly yellow which made him look all the more pallid.

With an unhurried yawn, Naruto walked back and forth across the room in an attempt to stretch his slightly cramped legs. He hadn't been working out as much as he would have liked lately but it simply couldn't be helped. Even though all the members of Konoha's Shidokan were helping as much as they could, the responsibility of taking care of Gaara had fallen to Sakura, Temari, Kankurou and him. The redhead's siblings would usually split the day shift between themselves while Naruto and Sakura alternated the nights. The pink haired doctor had specified that it was essential for someone to be with him at all times… she said it could actually help to bring him back to consciousness and would lessen the shock of finding himself in a strange environment when he woke up.

If he ever did.

Shaking his head vigorously, the blond vanished such pessimistic thoughts from his mind. He had to believe in his friend, had to believe in his strength of will. Gaara wasn't the kind of person that would give up so easily, especially after he had found someone as special as Sakura to love him back. She meant the world to him and Naruto knew he wouldn't abandon her without putting up a fight.

His musings were abruptly interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. Taking it out from the pocket of his jacket hanging on the chair, he moved towards the window with a smile before he answered.

"Good morning," he said with a husky voice.

Hinata answered shyly on the other side of the line.

Naruto had known that she needed to get up really early to go drop off some business associates of Sakura's at the airport and had been expecting her call. As she chatted happily with him while she made herself a quick breakfast, the blond decided that getting a cup of coffee himself wouldn't be a bad idea.

Opening the door of Gaara's room with his free hand, he moved quickly down the corridor towards the hospital's cafeteria, talking happily with his girl.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He had been angry before coming to this place… of that much he was certain.

There had been something… some_one_ he had been extremely infuriated with before coming to this peaceful beach with his mother. As he let the memory of the emotion wash over him, the redhead suddenly felt his chest tighten with another kind of emotion.

It was relief… relief of knowing that whatever he had been doing had succeeded. The situation he had been in had involved pain, at a physical, emotional and mental level. Devastation would have been the closest term he could use to describe the state he had found himself in before realizing that whatever it was that he had done, had actually worked.

Gaara tried to desperately to remember but the more he wanted to grasp the elusive visions that were just beyond his reach, the more they eluded him. The anger came flooding back over him tenfold and his hands tightened into fists at his side.

It was then that he looked down and realized that the strength with which he was pressing his fingers against his palms was not the typical force of a little boy. Lifting his fist to his face, he looked it over and found the hand of a man. His knuckles showed scars from previous injuries and he was suddenly aware that he was looking at the hands of a fighter. He flexed his fingers then and the familiar way with which his arms settled into a combat stance out of their own accord had him widening his eyes even further.

He went through a couple of movements as easily as if his muscles were flowing water. The memory of the katas he would perform while warming up for training came tumbling into his mind out of nowhere and rush of familiarity washed over him. Not stopping once, he followed the urge of his limbs to move in remembrance, bare feet shifting in the sand as he allowed his instincts to take over.

And as his body lost itself in the familiar routine of movements, his mind started to remember.

Left foot forward, right foot back.

The faces of his comrades at Konoha's Shidokan appeared before him. All the training they'd endured together, all the competitions they'd participated in… it all pushed him to move further and drove him forward.

Right arm extended, left fist back.

The face of a blue-eyed blond with a wide smile hovered in front of him. The bonds of friendship he'd formed with Naruto were suddenly clear and Gaara remembered all the times they'd gone at each other at the dojo, trying to improve each other's abilities.

Left foot back, right back hand block as he turned.

Temari was suddenly there, with her harsh words and demeanour but no less caring because of it. He remembered what it was like to live under her 'rule' while he was a child and a painful cringe erupted from his heart as he remembered the tattered experiences of his childhood. But he held the pain at bay, concentrating on the way his body was humming with satisfaction as he moved through his katas.

Right food forward, left side kick.

His brother was there as well, tattoed face smiling in glee as he showed him one of his newest puppets for the latest film he'd been working on. Kankurou, his loyal brother who had always given him his silent support even throughout the beatings he'd been forced to see Gaara go through.

Step forward, back stance, middle level knife.

A man with dark hair and cruel eyes appeared abruptly before him. The reaction of utter hatred the redhead felt deep within his guts almost overpowered him. _This_ was the man he had been infuriated with… this was the person who had brought him to the brink of despair. He was the one that had taken happiness away.

Left hand block, right foot front kick.

Someone had been taken away… someone he was supposed to be protecting.

_She_ had been abducted, taken away before his very eyes and he had been powerless to do anything.

The girl with the green eyes and the pink hair…

Spear hand strike as he turned again.

_**SAKURA!**_

The dam inside his mind broke and as his vision was flooded with light, he felt the sand and the ocean disappear.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Getting your coffee a bit early today, aren't you?" Miyako asked Naruto as she poured him a cup from behind the counter.

"Well yes," he replied sheepishly, "I kind of needed it earlier than usual today."

"I still think you guys should ask Tsunade-sama for an extra bed or some kind of pallet in the room… it really couldn't hurt," the hospital waitress, who knew all about their situation, said with concern.

"We kind of did hint at it but she told us adamantly that there are none to spare. And hospital regulations don't allow us to bring our own in so… we're stuck with a chair," he replied ruefully. "At least it's better than nothing."

"I guess you're right," she replied with a comforting smile. "Well, we'll be serving scrambled eggs for breakfast in case you're interested."

Naruto's stomach rumbled slightly at the mention of food and he tried to keep it in check. He still had another hour an a half to go before the cafeteria served the first meal of the day but he could make it. "I'll definitely be here."

With that, he took his cup and a packet of cookies with him towards the elevator. The warm feel of the dark liquid down his throat as he drank was like heaven. Pressing the button, he rode in silence up to the floor of Gaara's room, blissfully enjoying the smell of his coffee.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He sat up as if he had been struck by lighting, his breathing coming in rapid, harsh gasps. The world turned abruptly before his eyes and he was forced to close them in an attempt to get his bearings straight.

Nausea overcame him but he fought it back with sheer willpower. He tumbled back down into a soft mattress helplessly after a few seconds, his muscles giving way under the sudden strain he'd abruptly placed them under. A deep and raw cough found its way up his throat and as his chest convulsed painfully, he could taste the metallic tinge of blood on his tongue. He was having trouble breathing but he couldn't allow this to stop him.

Opening glazed jade eyes, Gaara scanned the room with the instinctual precision of a predator. He noticed that he was alone immediately and that the only source of light in the chamber was coming from a fluorescent lamp on the bedside table. It took him a while to get used to its irritating glow and his eyes started to water from the effort of trying to keep things in focus. From the constant beep of a machine next to him and the IV in his wrist, he realized he was in a hospital.

Where _was_ she? Why wasn't she here?

Had someone taken her away again?

With the greatest effort he had ever exerted in his life, the redhead sat up again. Adrenaline started pumping in his veins along with the maddening anger that invaded him at the thought of someone daring to take Sakura away from his side.

His mind flooded his consciousness with visions of her crying, bloodied and battered in a cell somewhere, held captive by another psychotic bastard.

With a strangled scream of rage and without knowing exactly what he was doing, Gaara pulled the IV from his arm with one violent movement. Lowering his legs from the bed, he moved to stand.

As his feet took on the entirety of his weight, he toppled forward and stumbled against the wall. Bracing his arms against the cold concrete, he managed to stay upright out of sheer force of will as pain invaded his whole body. Every single one of his muscles complained in earnest against the sudden movement. But the images of Sakura's suffering pushed him to move forward and leaning against the wall, he made his way towards the room's only door.

Anger fuelled his actions… unsuppressed and pure rage. It had been his weapon all his life and he didn't hesitate to use it once again. Gaara couldn't afford to be weak, not now. Summoning the adrenaline that had helped him attain Shidokan World Championship titles, he slammed the door open with all his strength. The glass panel on the wooden frame shattered with the force of his movement, eliciting a deafening clash throughout the silent hospital. The shards of glass fell to the floor in front of him and he heard a yell of alarm coming from somewhere down the corridor.

Not caring that he was barefoot, he stepped forward, scanning the hall for any signs of his pink haired lover. He had to look for her… her life depended on it, damn it!

A male nurse came rushing at him down the hall, screaming something incoherent. Gaara couldn't make out the words but the way the man was approaching him triggered a basic response from him and he was powerless to stop his body from moving… not that he actually wanted to.

In answer to the nurse's threatening step, Gaara lunged himself forward, punching the man in the stomach. As he toppled forward in pain, the redhead used the opportunity to grab him by the neck. With a forceful movement of his arm, he pinned the man against the wall, his fingers digging menacingly into his throat.

The male nurse tried to pry him away, his hands clawing at the skin of Gaara's arm but the redhead's hold was strong as steel.

"WHERE IS SHE?" he roared into the man's face, wide jade eyes taking on a maddening glint.

The man tried to gargle out a negative response but Gaara shook him forcefully.

"WHERE IS SHE?" he screamed again, closing his fingers even more around the nurse's throat.

Gaara could tell other people that had been approaching them had stopped dead in their tracks. He didn't know exactly what the hell was going on but he wanted answers and he wanted them _now_. He didn't care who these people were or why they had him in that room… he just wanted to know were Sakura was and wanted her beside him.

But the reigning silence that had descended over all of them was broken by the sound of a breaking ceramic cup as it hit the floor.

"GAARA!"

He lifted his face towards the familiar voice, jade eyes widening in recognition at the familiar figure making its way over to him in a hurry. Naruto was moving with great speed from one end of the corridor towards him, his jeans splashed with what appeared to be coffee.

Relief replaced the anger within him and without even noticing, he loosened his hold on the man in front of him. As he was released, the male nurse slid down the wall to the ground, his face fraught with fear. Gaara didn't notice this however, as he stepped in the direction of his friend.

If Naruto was here, it meant that Sakura had to be around too. The blond would never let anything happen to her. Apart from himself, he was the only other person he trusted Sakura's safety with. Naruto wouldn't have allowed anything to happen to her… not after they'd managed to rescue her. Definitely not.

The redhead stumbled slightly as the surge of anger and adrenaline left his body abruptly. All the aches he had been able to suppress up until now returned to him with a vengeance and a terrible jolt of pain from his left flank suddenly overwhelmed him. He fell forward, his breathing coming in loud gasps… exhaustion had finally gotten the best of him.

Miraculously, he never made it to the floor.

A strong hold was suddenly supporting him and someone was wrapping his arm around their shoulders. He was being lifted upwards but the pain in his side wasn't diminishing.

"Someone get a wheelchair!" a nearby nurse was shouting, "we need to get him to another room."

"You alright?" he heard the familiar voice filled with emotion from somewhere near. Gaara found enough strength left in him to lift his head slightly, only to look into the blue eyes of his friend.

He tried to smile but found that he simply couldn't. "Where is she?" he whispered, the desperation in his voice coming as no surprise.

"She'll be here any moment now," Naruto replied with a reassuring grin, his eyes slightly teary at seeing his friend awake. "She'll come in a minute."

"Good," Gaara replied, the relief he felt of his body finally allowing him to relax. He felt the dark void of oblivion trying to reach for him again but Naruto shook him slightly when he saw his jade eyes closing.

"Don't you dare go back to sleep," he scolded softly but there was no conviction behind his statement. "She'll have my head if you do."

The redhead managed to smile then.

"Could you hurry up with that wheel chair?" Naruto shouted, turning to the medical staff scurrying around trying to clean up Gaara's mess.

"Even though you've lost weight, you're still _hell_ heavy," he added with a chuckle, turning towards his friend once more.

XXXXXXXXXXX

She jumped into a run as soon as the elevator doors opened before her. All the rules that she'd followed for a long time when it came to hospital regulations flying out the window and she allowed her feet to propel her forward with abandon.

She'd received the call she had been awaiting for _days_ and nothing could prevent her from rushing down the hall. Not even the surprised nurses who quickly scrambled out of her way or the angry yells of the interns telling her to slow down could stop her now.

It was all superfluous…none of it mattered. Not in this moment.

Her mind simply didn't think. So intent was she on reaching her goal that the only thing she was aware of was the beat of her pounding heart in her chest and the raw need that was thrumming through her to see the man she loved with her own eyes… to know that he was safe.

Tsunade-sensei's presence in front of the hospital room door confirmed her destination and impossibly, she quickened her run. At the sound of her approach, her former sensei lifted her head and spotted her, a wide smile blossoming on her lips. The older woman didn't say anything; she merely stepped out of the way wisely.

Barely able to stop her forward momentum in time to veer into the room's doorway, Sakura grabbed the door frame with one hand to help her make the tight turn. She was panting heavily but she wasn't even aware of it.

The sight of the redheaded man sitting up on the hospital bed with a scowl on his face was, in one word, overwhelming.

Naruto's presence to one side simply didn't register… nor did she notice the nurse that was tinkering with the IV bag next to the bed.

There was no room in her consciousness for them as she stood there for a few seconds, feeling like she could gaze at him like this for the rest of eternity.

But she realized she needed more… so much more than merely gazing.

He lifted his face when she stepped forward, his scowl disappearing in an instant.

Relieved emerald met yearning jade and the world narrowed down to nothing else.

It took two steps for her to reach the bed and throw herself upon him, ignoring the surprised yelp of the nurse and Naruto's happy laugh.

She buried her face in his neck, showering his skin with kisses as her fists buried themselves in the material of his robe… as she had done countless times in the past days.

But this time was different for instead of remaining still beneath her, she felt his strong arms lift to hold her to him in a tight embrace.

She simply couldn't find the strength of will to suppress the sob of relief that shuddered through her frame when she perceived the feel of his breath upon the top of her head as he too started to kiss her with a tad of desperation.

It was as if neither of them could believe that the one they were holding was real.

Neither of them noticed when Naruto approached the nurse or the woman's complaints when he firmly ushered her out of the room and closed the door.

There simply wasn't room in their world for that.

XXXXXXXXXXX

It was until midday of the following day that Naruto found himself pushing a wheelchair carrying a sour-looking Gaara out of the hospital's front door. The redhead had been forced to stay more time than he would've wanted to for if it had been up to him, he would've been back at Sakura's apartment by mid-morning the day before. Unfortunately, hospital protocol couldn't allow that for he had recently woken from a coma and still needed to be tightly monitored. It was only after he had effectively threatened the whole of his floor's medical staff that Tsunade finally signed his release form and decided that if he had enough energy to throw cantankerous tantrums, then he was healthy enough to go home.

Of course, the fact that it was Sakura who would be taking care of him helped with her decision and she knew that Gaara couldn't be in better hands.

Naruto simply sighed in resignation as they both waited for Sakura to bring out the car from the parking lot in gloomy silence. The blond had to admit that yesterday's festive mood, with all of the members of Konoha's Shidokan visiting along with Temari and Kankurou, had been dampened by an unpleasant bit of news.

Due to the nature of his injuries, to the complications to which they had led and the time he had spent unconscious, Sabaku no Gaara would have to refrain from practicing shidokan for an indefinite amount of time. He would have to remain in repose for months and due to the violent nature of his martial art, he would have to retake it slowly, one step at a time and under constant medical observation.

It was like asking a bird not to spread its wings to fly… both Sakura and Naruto knew that.

This was partly the reason why they had tolerated his outbursts towards the medical staff the day before since they knew it was his way of dealing with his frustration. Shidokan was Gaara's _life_, it was as simple as that. It was the martial art that had allowed him to rise from the existence he had previously led as a bare-knuckled fighter out on the streets and it was shidokan that had given him the chance to better himself. Thus, asking him to stop doing what was completely second-nature to him was like severing a limb.

It was going to take a great deal of patience and perseverance to be able to handle the redhead in the difficult state he would surely be in during the days to come. Both Naruto and Sakura were quite glad that they would have each other to count on and knew that with their help, Gaara would surely pull through... but it would definitely prove difficult.

After a couple of minutes, the pink haired girl pulled her BMW up to the sidewalk. Naruto stepped forward and opened the door, turning so he could help Gaara out of the chair and into the passenger seat. However, before he could do anything, the redhead had already stood up and turned away the blond's proffered help with a growl. Sakura and Naruto shared a concerned glance, especially with the evident effort that the redhead was making to hide the pain he was experiencing in his abdomen with each movement.

He finally managed to flop down on the seat beside her and blew out a deep breath, falling into a coughing fit. The blond threw Sakura a meaningful look before he closed the door and folded the wheel chair they had purchased so he could place it in the trunk. The pink haired girl sighed, lifting her hand to caress Gaara's cheek after the coughing had passed.

"You're supposed to take it easy and you know it," she said in a worried tone.

The redhead merely nodded as he turned to look at her but there was a steely glint of stubbornness in his eyes that told her otherwise. Lifting his hand up to her hair, he pulled her to him for a kiss.

His lips were hungry, zealous and possessive… just like they had been since he had woken up. The day before, he hadn't tolerated much time without her presence and if she was gone for a few minutes, he would be cursing whoever was in close proximity violently only to bury her in a needy embrace seconds after she reappeared. Despite spending hours clinging to each other in the hospital bed the previous day, they hadn't been able to talk much in private yet. Both of them had simply needed to get their fill of one another after being apart so long and they had been content with just laying there in each other's arms, whispering soft words. Nonetheless, Sakura knew there were things they would eventually need to discuss. But it was wiser to take everything one step at a time and not rush things… with the experiences they had gone through, both of them had wounds that went beyond the physical.

The opportunity to talk things over would present itself in due course. Right now, all both of them wanted to do was enjoy each other's presence to the fullest.

Their kiss was interrupted by Naruto as he climbed into the back seat of the car.

"How about some lunch?" the blond asked hopefully. "I feel like we had breakfast 3 days ago."

"I just want to go home," Gaara said with finality as Sakura pulled off the sidewalk and started driving down the street.

Naruto grumbled in protest but didn't say anything.

Sakura on the other hand, felt her chest swell with emotion with the redhead's statement. Gaara considered her apartment home... he had just made that absolutely clear. A myriad of feelings rose to the surface with the realization and her lips parted in a content smile.

"Tell you what," the pink haired girl said while looking at Naruto through the rear view mirror. "Why don't you call Hinata and tell her to pick you up at my place. Then the two of you can go buy the four of us lunch and we'll eat at the apartment. Sounds good to you?"

"Perfect!" he replied cheerily as he took out his cell phone from his pocket and dialled the raven haired girl's number.

Luckily, they didn't encounter much traffic on the way to Sakura's building and managed to make good timing. They parked in the basement and Gaara was the victim of the loud protests of his lover and friend when he opened the car door in an attempt to get out on his own. A hurt look from the pink haired girl managed to keep him in place while Naruto hurried to the back of the vehicle and took the wheel chair out.

"The two of you are going to be the death of me," the redhead said through clenched teeth as he reluctantly allowed the blond to help him into the chair.

"On the contrary, you idiot," Naruto replied with a smug grin, "we're here to keep you out of harm's way."

"By treating me like a cripple?" Gaara bit back.

"You are _not_ a cripple," Sakura said as she walked around the car, "so stop saying that. The wheelchair is a necessary precaution since you need to move as least as possible. Your lung was punctured by your broken rib and it needs to heal properly." She leaned down to give him a quick peck on the cheek and even though he grumbled slightly, the redhead kept quiet.

They rode the elevator up to the pink haired girl's floor and Naruto pushed Gaara out into the corridor when they arrived. While Sakura found her keys and unlocked their apartment, the lift doors opened once more to reveal Hinata, who had just arrived to pick the blond up.

"Hi everyone," she said shyly just before Naruto buried her in a warm embrace.

"You two go get some lunch," Sakura said with a smile, "or else fox boy over here's going to eat us all."

"Hey!" the blond protested while Hinata chuckled.

The raven haired girl recovered quickly however and approached Gaara. "I'm glad you're back," she said while placing a soft hand on his shoulder, "she's been lonely in this place without you."

The redhead smiled before he replied. "She won't be lonely anymore then."

Hinata nodded happily and turned towards Sakura, giving her a quick hug.

"I'll keep him busy for a while," she whispered in her ear.

The pink haired girl stifled a chuckle at the mischievous tone in her friend's voice. "Thank you," she whispered back.

With that, Hinata pulled away and stepped towards Naruto.

"We'll get going now. See you in a bit!" the blond said as he took her hand, completely oblivious to the exchange between the two women.

When the elevator doors had closed behind them, Sakura pushed Gaara into their apartment.

"You don't need to do that," he protested.

"Oh yes I do," she replied, accentuating her answer with a slightly forceful shove of the wheelchair.

"I can manage this cursed chair by myself," the redhead said while she closed the door.

Sakura laughed slightly. "I know you can but you should start getting used to being helped."

"I don't need any help," he told her stubbornly.

"Things would get done a lot quicker if you allowed me to help," she said innocently, slowly approaching him. As she took in the sight of him sitting there in front of the living room, she realized there was only _one_ thing that she wanted to do.

"What things?" Gaara asked

"I don't know…" she replied as she leaned down towards him, her lips ghosting over his, "things like taking your clothes off."

He let out a loud chuckle.

"Now that's an aspect in which I'll always welcome your help," he finally said, pulling her down towards him.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The feel of her skin was everything he had ever craved for and more. As he caressed her naked breasts, her back, her thighs… he could feel the heat of her body through his wandering hands and it reminded him of how incredibly ecstatic he felt at being alive.

Every single second he had been forced to be apart from her had been like torture. Every time he had thought of her in the hands of that Uchiha maniac, he had felt the scalding wash of all-consuming wrath permeate through him. It had always been immediately followed by the cold swab of mind wreaking anxiety at the thought of what the bastard might have been doing to her and to this day, he didn't know how he had managed to maintain his sanity.

But that time was long gone. It was a thing of the past. Sakura was here now, lying in her unclothed splendour next to him as he kissed her with all the fervour he possessed. To think that it was all over, that no one would threaten her ever again… to know that she was his and that she was safe in his arms… it only spurred him to unimaginable levels of passion and he strived to show her everything he was feeling through his ardent lovemaking.

Sakura moaned loudly as he moved within her, unable to keep quiet with the surge of emotions she was experiencing. It was simply an overdose of feeling combined with the most delightful sensations she had ever experienced in her life. Touching him everywhere, she simply couldn't get enough of him and the fact that half his abdomen was wrapped in bandages didn't deter her from exploring him fully…not that she actually noticed the wrappings around his torso. The pink haired girl was simply too absorbed in the sensation of his muscles beneath her fingers, too absorbed in the knowledge that he was awake and that he was making love to her in their bed.

Such an experience had been a faraway dream to her just a couple of days before and it was all the more breathtaking to realize that this was real… that this wasn't just another of her constant daydreams. She had been deprived of his presence for too long and she relished in every single sensation he was provoking: from the feel of his urgent lips to the thrill of his wandering hands on her skin to the mind-blowing ecstasy he was provoking deep within her. Having experienced a deep void within her during the time he had been in a coma, it was all the more overwhelming to find herself whole again… to find that the part of herself she had been missing had been finally returned to her.

In the back of her mind, Sakura knew they should be taking it easy due to his condition and she had managed lure him to lie on his right side so that no pressure would fall on his injured ribs. But it was extremely difficult to control their reactions and it had taken all her strength of will to avoid throwing him on his back so she could ride him with all the ardour in her being. His ribs were still too sore and the weight of her on top of him would definitely not be good for him. He would never admit it but his breathing would sometimes come out in wheezing gasps. He'd have to settle with lying on his side for the time being but from the low growls he was eliciting, it seemed he didn't mind at all.

With her leg thrown over his hip, Gaara quickened the tempo of his thrusts, losing himself with every movement. There was no pain, no emptiness… there was only her and the bliss that being together like this brought them. He felt every inch of her skin and he was certain she felt him in the same way too. The blur of pleasurable sensation after pleasurable sensation threatened to consume them whole and as it was, they welcomed that ecstatic oblivion and moved closer to the edge with abandon.

They flew together and rose above the mundane happenings of the world, knowing they would be there to catch each other when they feel back down from grace.

XXXXXXXXXXX

As he opened the door to Sakura's apartment, a bag of Mexican take-out food in one hand, Naruto began to apologize immediately.

"I'm sorry we took so long guys, but Hinata insisted that we eat at the restaurant and…"

His words died in his mouth when he suddenly realized that he had just stepped on his pink haired friend's blouse as it lay discarded on the floor.

A quick perusal of the area quickly revealed the jeans Gaara had been wearing in a similar position not far away.

Hinata giggled behind him.

Wide blue eyes looked down the corridor for a moment, just to realize that the bedroom door was open. Luckily, no sounds were coming from within.

Sighing with relief, the blond replaced his shock with indignation.

"Now wait just a minute!" he bellowed. "Gaara, you're supposed to be taking it easy!"

"Oh, shut up!" came the redhead's irritated reply from the vicinity of the bedroom.

Sakura's bubbly laughter followed quickly afterwards.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The pink haired girl emerged from a deliciously hot shower the next morning with an utterly content smile on her lips. She paused for moment though, when she found the bedroom empty and she wondered where Gaara could've gone. Having left him sound asleep on the bed some minutes before, she thought she'd find him right where he had been.

'At least he took the chair with him,' he thought dryly when she realized that the wheelchair she had left at the side of the bed wasn't there. He had been trying to avoid using it every chance he got despite the fact that he received a stern scolding from whoever was in the vicinity whenever he did so. The previous night, when a group of their friends had come over to visit, Temari had actually gotten up and pinched his ear. It had elicited quite a wave of laughter from everyone in the living room and a deadly jade glare from the victim of the dark blond's vicious fingers.

Gaara had threatened her vehemently, daring her to do it again. But his older sister was undaunted and she kept pinching his ear until he'd settled back down on his chair.

Luckily, Sakura hadn't been forced to go to such means yet and the fact that he had used the wheelchair willingly was a sure sign of progress.

She got dressed quickly and went looking for him. It wasn't hard to guess his destination and she smiled sadly when she found him sitting on the floor of the mini-dojo she had built for him, his back to the door while he stared at the small shrine. The wheelchair was standing next to him and her heart simply couldn't avoid the swell of guilt that overcame her with the knowledge that everything that happened to him had been because of her.

Crossing the room with a slightly hesitant stride, Sakura kneeled down behind him and threw her arms around his neck. She buried her face on his shoulder as she embraced him, trying to fight the remorse building inside of her.

"I'm…" she began to say but he cut her short.

"If you're going to apologize, then you'd better think again," Gaara told her, his voice firm. "Everything I did, I did willingly. I was driven by my love for you and there's nothing I regret doing. To bring down that sick bastard, I would've done everything I did and more."

There simply wasn't anything she could say to that.

She answered by tightening her hold on him and pressing her face against him further. Sakura allowed the strength of his presence to fill her and to help her wash away the guilt. It wouldn't leave as easily as she wished but with him beside her, she knew it would eventually disappear. They stayed like that for a while, lost in the silence of the room.

By the time she lifted her eyes up to him again, she caught the look of longing with which he was gazing at the shidokan scrolls on the walls. Sighing as she strengthened her own resolve, she knew that she had to be there to help him as well. He would be going through a very tough time and she promised herself to show her support in every possible way.

She lifted her lips to his cheeks and kissed him tenderly. "You'll be back in that arena sooner than you think…"

"Do you really think so?" he asked and the doubt in his voice almost broke her heart. But she needed to be tough for him and to make him realize that the uncertainty that he was experiencing could be driven away.

"Of course I do," she said. "Everyone believes in you, especially me, and we'll be here to help you every step of the way."

Gaara breathed in deeply, allowing the comfort of her sure words to wash over him.

"Besides," she added as she playfully nipped his ear with her teeth, "with your stubborn streak? Your return is basically a given."

He simply had to grin at the truth behind her statement.

Lifting his hands, he caught both of hers as he interlaced their fingers. Bringing her knuckles to his lips, he kissed them tenderly as he continued to gaze upon the scroll before him.

It was going to take some doing and it would require large amounts of patience… a trait he barely possessed. But he realized that Sakura was right.

With her beside him, there really wasn't anything he couldn't accomplish.

* * *

Arigatou, minna. For your support throughout all this time. 


End file.
